Substance of Things Hoped For
by jade
Summary: AU. The war with Lord Voldemort is raging, the Boy Who Lived is secretly a Squib, and every bit of hope one can find is worth everything.
1. Chapter 1

This story…a brain child that refused to go away. I came up with the original idea for this story as "I want to write a story where Harry's a Squib." I kept running into roadblocks though…so many that I dropped the idea for some time. And then suddenly, while reading one of my favorite HP fanfics for the kabillionth time, I had a sudden idea…

Disclaimer: I don't own HP or any lines from the play Macbeth.

Note About Timeline: This is an alternate universe. I'm just pointing that out again, because I don't want everyone to get confused. Things are going to be different from the canon universe, some things will be similar. Just go with the flow. All will be explained.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter One

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The wind ruffled the red locks that he had tried so hard to keep neat. It couldn't be helped, could it? It was just one of those days…you got a lot of them when you lived by the seashore. The salty wind clung to his lips and skin. Every time he went to lick his parched lips, all he could taste was the sea.

Percy Weasley didn't live by the sea. He was only passing through. It didn't do any good to stay in one place too long. Voldemort was everywhere, had eyes everywhere, and was just waiting for a chance to strike at whatever unsuspecting victim he had found who'd forgotten just that. He preferred the big cities. He preferred the Ministry of Magic, the hustle and bustle of work always being done…last time he was there, it had been Christmastime. That was two years ago, but if he closed his eyes and recalled for a moment, he could picture the large glowing tree, twinkling with different lights, the color coordinated ornaments…he could recall a gift wrapped in silver paper with a large red velvet bow.

_"Merry Christmas."_

_"I hope you like it."_

He frowned a little, opening his eyes, and pushing up his rather severe glasses. It wouldn't do to get off task. You could daydream about the past all you wanted, but if you kept your head there, you were sure to get killed.

It was just too easy to lose people now a days.

He wasn't much help to his side. He tried to be, but the Ministry of Magic was never in the same place for very long and he had lost track of where they were. He had heard of other factions joining together to help in the fight against Voldemort. The fight they were losing.

Even now, Percy wondered if they could ever reclaim the battlefield. If they could ever come back and destroy Voldemort. It seemed impossible. Of course, a lot of people still whispered about the Boy Who Lived. Talk about fairy deals and leprechaun gold! Get your head out of the clouds, that's what Percy wanted to say to them. Oh, it was true, the Boy existed, but Percy had no idea what it had to do with Voldemort _now_.

Everyone knew the basic outline of the story. Seventeen years ago, the Lord Voldemort, who had been at the height of his powers then, had come to Godric's Hollow, planning to kill all the Potters (some people were shaky on the details, but most people agreed that they _were_ enemies of Lord Voldemort and so didn't really bother to explain why he had singled them out). Unfortunately for him, (and once more, no one really _knows _what happened) when he had gone to kill Harry James Potter, a babe of one, something went terribly wrong. The spell rebounded onto his own body.

Everyone thought it was the end of Voldemort, no one heard anymore of the wizard who had reigned in terror for so long. There were celebrations, feasts, holidays. People held lavish memorial festivals for the dead and for a time, it was as though the wizarding world was breathing a huge sigh of relief.

And then, just four years ago, he had risen from the grave and began to reclaim his former power. People cried for the Ministry to do something and they had tried…they had tried so hard…

The original headquarters of the Ministry had been destroyed. Now the surviving members were constantly on the run.

_His fingers closed around the smooth, crinkled surface of the package. The velvety bow brushed the back of his knuckles and he moved his hands so he could carefully untie the bow. _

_"I hope you like it."_

Percy swallowed hard, trying not to grimace. He glanced to the sea on his left and saw the endless, lapping waves. He had been to the beach when he was younger, with his whole family. He shook his head, he was getting too nostalgic. Why couldn't he keep his mind on this one task? _He _wasn't the impractical one, _he _wasn't the insensible one. He kept his wits about him, so why couldn't he all of a sudden?

His eyes swung away from the sea to the houses across the street on his right. Nothing to get swept away about there. Just regular houses. Some of them gray, some of them felt gray, and most of them looked like the sort of houses you would expect to see near the beach. Some just felt empty.

_They probably are._

This particular little town didn't have many marks of any battles or attacks. But there were some. Empty houses. So many empty houses now a day.

His eyes traveled along each one until they suddenly stopped. He tried to make it not look obvious that something about this particular house had caught his eye. It would have been something silly to anyone else. In fact, even his kind might think it was silly but to him, it meant something.

On the porch was a bucket. An upside down bucket.

Completely ordinary, not meant to catch anyone's attention. Percy kept walking, right on past the house. He would cross the street at the very end of the road and come back up the other side, just in case anyone was watching. Those houses felt Empty. That didn't mean they couldn't See.

His feet padded against the sidewalk in his sensible walking shoes as his heart thudded irregularly in his chest. Was he really so lonely that the sight of an upside down bucket made him act this way? He had been wandering by himself for so long though…there was something about loneliness that Percy found hard to bear.

Maybe it was growing up in his family. There were so many siblings, always so much noise. And even though he would yell in frustration at those who wouldn't be quiet or snap at those who were purposely annoying him, he missed that noise. He was only able to work under deep amounts of stress. The more worked up he was, the easier he found it to think.

But that was before.

The Burrow was gone. What a funny name for a family's home. The Burrow. He knew some of his siblings might even now be alive. But it had all happened so fast and he hadn't even been there. He just saw the aftermath.

He just saw the dead bodies of his mother and his father.

_The bow came undone in his hands and fell away from the package. He hesitantly glanced up to give a quick smile to the giver but their attention had been seized by someone else. He looked down at the still wrapped package, but felt alone. _

His siblings and him…none of them had even been particularly close to Percy, which he supposed was probably his fault a little. He had always been too busy to play with them. Too busy with schoolwork, too busy with work, too busy with this, too busy with that. He believed in having fun after all your work was done. The problem was, for Percy, the work never had been done.

There was always a little voice that whispered 'later, we'll play later' in his ears. But there never was a later. There were two funerals and a foundation full of ashes.

He glanced both ways before crossing the street. No cars were coming. It wasn't a very busy place and most people, even Muggles, who didn't technically _know _about the war, they knew that they were dying. Best to stay out of the way.

Percy stuck his hands in his pockets and tried to look like he was just having an afternoon stroll. Part of him wanted to hunch over, but hunching over would only make it seem like he was trying to look smaller. No, he didn't want that. Look at me, I'm just going about my business, no need to be suspicious of me. That's what he wanted them to see. If they were watching.

Then, with a half glance around to see if there was anyone watching, he turned onto the small walk-up that led to the house with the upside down bucket. He wondered if he was just making a mistake. Muggles could over turn buckets just as easily. So could Death Eaters.

He knocked three times, three very deliberate and slow times. He waited for a little bit and he could hear shuffling noises from inside. There were people in there. But were they the right kind of people?

_Oh please…please…_

Percy was surprised by that. He could manage very well on his own, thank you very much. What was with this desire to be surrounded by people again? The doorknob twisted, rattled, and the door creaked open about a foot. In the darkness of the front hall, a young man was standing. He couldn't be anymore than eighteen years old, and he was glaring at Percy with regular blue eyes, his hair was the color of corn silk.

"Show me, show me." Percy recited hopefully. If it was just a Muggle they'd probably think he was a loony and slam the door in his face. A Death Eater might be equally confused. But…

"Here I have a pilot's thumb, wreck'd as homeward he did come." The blonde-haired boy still looked rather wary but he wasn't glaring anymore. He opened the door wider and let Percy enter. Percy stepped into the dark hallway, hearing the young man close the door behind him.

He could see that it got lighter as you went further into the house, and was about to go further in when the young man stopped him. "Wait a moment, I've got to check you."

"Check me?" Percy cocked his head to one side.

"Yeah, we've had some close calls." The blonde haired boy took out his wand. "Just a quick charm to reveal any scars you have."

"Oh." Percy nodded his head in understanding. Scars. The Dark Mark, the one all Death Eaters wore. That's what he was looking for. Although he could understand, he was slightly perplexed by this. He didn't blame a wizard for safety precautions, but the boy still looked like he was waiting for Percy to pull out his wand and curse him.

The charm only took a moment and though Percy's knee lit up, Percy quickly pulled up his pants leg to show the scar he had gotten when he was going to school. He had fallen down some steps and hurt it pretty bad.

_"Let me see."_

_"Geez Percy, that looks bad." _

The young man seemed satisfied and held out a hand, though Percy noted that he still hadn't put his wand away. "Zacharias Smith."

"Percy Weasley." Percy shook his hand.

"Weasley?" Zacharias seemed to be thinking. "I think there was a Weasley in my year…or something like that. Ginny?"

"My little sister." Percy confirmed with a nod.

"Huh. She still alive?" Zacharias asked bluntly.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since our house was attacked. I wasn't there when it happened." Percy decided he wasn't sure he liked Smith already and he'd just met him.

"Sorry." Smith looked apologetic for half a moment. "Come in then." He led the way further down the hall. There was a living room, with a television here. The television was on, but no one was watching it. Percy realized that Smith must have been watching it before.

"Hey, Zach!" Another young man, with pale hair and pale eyes came into the room. "Who is it?"

"Percy Weasley." Smith pointed absently to Percy. "He's just come in."

"Did you remember to check for scars?" This young man looked the same age as Smith but had drawn himself up with an air of superiority.

"_Yes_, Ernie." Smith's tone was borderline exasperated.

"Excuse me." Percy held up a hand. The two turned to him. "Who's in charge here?" The two turned to look at each other, sharing a secret glance. "I would like to be informed of any news that might have passed through here as well. I don't imagine you get much but…"

"You have a wand?" The one called Ernie held out his hand sternly. He rather reminded Percy of himself when he was younger. The red-headed man pulled out his wand and held it out, wand end pointed towards himself. "You can't go see the person in charge with a wand. It's one of the rules. Special protection, you see."

"I understand." Percy nodded his head once more. The two were faintly annoying in their presumption. He was older, and he had been a member of the Ministry of Magic. These two looked like they were just out of school. Maybe they were. Ernie took his wand and tucked it into the jacket he was wearing.

The two led him out of the living room and down the hallway, to where a set of stairs going to the second floor were located. They went up the stairs, Zach in front, Ernie behind him. Percy couldn't help but think it was because they still suspected he would attack, even without a wand. This hallway was lined with closed doors.

"That's my room." Ernie pointed to the first door on their right. He began explaining where each of the doors led. There was a guest bedroom, a bathroom, Smith's room at the very end of the hallway. They reached a door in the middle of the hallway and Ernie knocked twice on it. Percy heard a voice answer, but couldn't quite make it out.

When they led him inside, Percy saw that it was another bedroom. This one had a small bed, plain wooden floors, a vanity, and a dresser. The person was sitting on the bed, looking out the window and watching the sea. They turned their head, but even before that, Percy had been surprised. It was clearly a girl. She had dark hair that was pulled into a long braid. There was nothing wrong with a girl being in charge, he just hadn't expected it.

When she turned to face them, Percy was taken aback by her features. They were normal enough and she was even sort of pretty, but that wasn't what surprised him. It was the familiarity of them. Her sharp chin, her arched eyebrows, and the way she seemed to be studying him with her eyes.

He had worked with someone very similar to that. Well, he had worked _for _them. But they had died, and it was small wonder. Almost the entire family was dead, and the last member had gone into hiding, although most people would be shocked to hear that she was still alive.

"It can't be…" Percy gasped. "You…you're…" She smiled sadly, lowering her eyes as she did a quick bow of her head. "Susan Bones."

"Unfortunately." It was bitter, even though her voice was soft.

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Cliffhanger? Er…maybe. Sort of. I really like doing this whole, 'use completely secondary characters thing'. That's not to say that some main characters won't be showing up soon. I don't think Susan's ever described in the books so I've taken some liberties. For some reason I always picture her with dark hair…couldn't really say why. This isn't very happy go lucky so far…but there's no earthly way of knowing which direction this fic is going…I know you guys have lots of questions, but just keep reading…


	2. Chapter 2

I think I'd like to just dedicate this chapter to my mom's coffee table. Why? Because to do the research for this story, I had two thesauruses, four dictionaries, one book on mythology, one book on Druid lore, the complete works of William Shakespeare, all six HP books, a giant world atlas, five maps, a five CD set of classical music, and a notebook on it. Not to mention one glass of Mountain Dew and Teresa's addition of a bag of chips. If that's not dedication, I don't know what is. Perhaps I really did all that research so I could get into the right mindset for this chapter…let me put on Dvorak's "New World" so I can get started!

By the way, I'm surprised at the woohoo-ing for Percy (for lack of better term), I mean he's not my favorite character in the world, but I declared to Teresa that she'll like him by the end of my story. Let's hope I can do it!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

Warnings: Branding. Good times, bad food.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Two

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They didn't bind her wrists.

She supposed they didn't have to. What could she possibly do to them? They were three grown men and she was just a young woman of eighteen, with nothing to defend herself. No weapon. No wand.

That's what they did to subdue her. A sickening crack and then…nothing. Her wand, snapped neatly in two. What could she do without magic? What was she without a spell?

_I'm still me. I don't need a spell for that. _

_You'll never be able to take that away. _

She glared in utter defiance of the three men, but none of them were paying even a bit of attention to her. That didn't matter to her. She just sat in the car, not even wanting to look out the window. Why would she? Was there anything worth looking at out there?

_Don't be melodramatic, Hermione._

Hermione Granger shifted slightly in her seat. One of the men glanced at her, but they didn't move. She wasn't doing anything vaguely threatening, even though she wanted nothing more than to reach up and punch each one in the jaw. If she had her wand…if she had her wand…

If she had her wand, she wouldn't have been captured at all.

But Hermione had been caught unaware. While the war raged, she thought her family and she would fly under the radar, after all, she was a Muggle born. But they didn't. Her parents weren't there that night, thank god. It had just been her.

_"What could a Mudblood need a wand for?"_

Her face hardened slightly as she thought about that night. Captured, her wand broken in two right in front of her, and then loaded like an animal into the back of that truck. There had been others with her, but they had all been separated.

There was only one fate awaiting a Mudblood who was captured. Slavery. She'd be made to work in a Death Eater home, just like hundreds of others. The car rolled to a stop and she looked to see if they were there yet. No, just stopped at the gate.

The huge black iron gate with a sweeping letter emblazoned on the front. She stared at that letter and every calligraphic loop etched itself into her memory. That letter could mean only one thing, but she dare not even think about it right then.

"No tears?" One of the men prodded her. "Can't say we've ever gotten one who didn't start crying."

Hermione looked him straight in the eye, but didn't utter a single word. She wasn't glaring; she wasn't doing anything but staring him down. He finally turned away, and no more commentary was made while they went up the drive to the front of the sprawling mansion.

She had never seen a house so grand…except maybe the castle of Hogwarts, where she had been schooled in magic. She hadn't been away very long, but she already missed it. The sweeping staircases, the sprawling grounds, the almost carefree atmosphere, even in the middle of the war that the students had. Of course, Hermione didn't have any friends at Hogwarts. She had tried and failed to make any.

Often times she felt quite miserable, but here she was, wishing she was right back there. Every year she had vowed that this year would be the year when she would make lots of friends…but every year, she was wrong.

Now Hermione didn't feel alone at all.

_I can't let them drag me down…I can't…_

_I've got to show them that they can do whatever they want. They can snap my wand in two…but that doesn't make me any less…_

_Even if it hurts so badly…_

Just because she _wasn't _crying, that didn't mean she had no urge to do so. Just not where they could see. She would never cry in front of _them_.

The car stopped, but this time, it meant it was time to get out. Even though she knew what she was waiting for her, she felt glad to be out of that car, glad to get out of the stale interior and into the fresh air outside. Warm wind kissed her cheeks before she was shoved in the direction of the doors.

An old lady was waiting for them inside. She looked like a grandmother of some kind, and Hermione wondered briefly if she _was_ someone's grandmother, not that it mattered in a place like this. The old lady was wearing a sad, subdued expression, and Hermione felt sorry for her immediately.

"I'll take her from here." The old woman told them quietly and the men left. Hermione glared at their backs, but quickly went towards the old woman. "This way." The old woman turned and went through a door that Hermione had only just noticed and she turned as well and followed her.

There were shouts around her, the sounds of people busy doing things, cleaning, washing, cooking, fetching, carrying.

"The master of the house wishes to see you as soon as you are proper." The old woman informed her. "You've got to put on your uniform and wash up a little."

Hermione was directed into a small bedroom with only enough room for a sink and a bed. On the back of the door hung the uniform. It was a rough cloth, gray and scratchy, but it was what she'd be forced to wear from now on. It was a gray dress which came down to just past her knees and the sleeves went to her elbows. There was an apron that tied around it, and Hermione put that on too, even though she had no idea what work she'd be set to doing. There was a pair of brown, worn in looking boots that she had to put her feet into. The clothes were foreign, smelling of someone else.

_Another servant…_

_What happened to them?_

She tried not to shudder as she went to wash up. The only thing that came out of the taps was freezing cold water. Better than no water. Hermione did her best to smooth her hair and put it back in a ponytail, but she was sure it wasn't going to look nice no matter what. She had never been very good with her hair.

Above the sink was a small, grimy mirror.

Hermione stared at her reflection and found she felt nothing all of a sudden. The gray seemed to have drained the life from her…

_No. _

Her heart filled with anger. She wanted to tear the dress off and put on her old clothes. She wanted to take off the shoes and use them to smash the mirror. She wanted…she wanted…

_Keep that feeling…because if one day it dies…_

_You'll have given in._

Hermione thought back to all she had learned in school and put a hand to her heart. She needed a motto, a phrase…something. Something she could tell herself…her eyes met those in the mirror and all she could do was give herself a grim, but determined look.

_I'm a witch._

She stepped back and left the tiny room behind. It was time to face the master of the household. She was led by yet another servant through several doors, up two flights of stairs, and down a few hallways. Hermione wasn't sure she'd ever remember where everything was, but she'd learn fast. Or she'd be killed, and a new person would be brought in to take her place.

The servant knocked on the door and asked for permission to enter. A commanding voice told them to come in. Hermione stepped over the threshold and was led inside. She straightened her back and lifted her chin.

_I'm a witch._

The master of the household had such a condescending expression on his face that it did nothing for Hermione's attitude. He looked down his aristocratic nose at her and sneered. She dropped her eyes so she could look at the floor.

_I'm a witch. I'm choosing not to look at you. _

"Our newest Mudblood." She could hear his tone dripping with disdain. "You should be thanking me. The Lestranges usually snatch up the smart ones. The dumb ones as well, even though they use both for the same purpose. When they finally get bored, the damn things are so utterly broken that you couldn't put them to any sort of work. Drooling, mindless, fools…" His cold eyes swung to the servant who hadn't left. "Although I still seem to end up with dribbling idiots who can't even understand me when I tell them quite distinctly that _I have my tea at three_!" He barked at the servant who curtsied in the blink of an eye and exited the room.

Hermione said nothing.

"I know that you're somewhat clever—for a Mudblood." The man made sure Hermione knew he wasn't complimenting her. "Knowing your letters and so forth…anyways, I've decided I need a morning secretary. You'll come in, _do exactly as you're told_, and then when your shift ends, you'll go into the library." Hermione tried not to perk up at the familiar word. "I want all my books properly coded and sorted. I want to know the entire inventory of that library."

She nodded her head but didn't bring her eyes up to meet his.

_I'm a witch. You can't make me look at you._

"If you run away, you'll be killed. If you disobey me, well, the first offense will earn you a whipping, the second one, a much harsher punishment. Pain teaches obedience." He moved around the room to his desk where he took a seat. "You will also never talk back to me. I'll cut out your tongue for your first offense. Would you like to hear what happens after the second?"

Hermione gave one small shake of her head.

"Ah, the last order of business…" His voice held a note of happiness; this next part was something he clearly enjoyed. "Come over here." Hermione felt a cold feeling of dread as she approached the desk. "Roll up the sleeve on your left arm." Slowly, as if she could make the whole thing go away, her fingers clumsily rolled up the sleeve.

His wand touched her arm for only a moment, the charm he whispered took only a second, but the pain…the pain was unbearable. It scorched her flesh with burning agony. She wanted to scream, but she shoved her right hand into her mouth and smothered it, her teeth painfully bit down on her index finger. Anything to distract from the pain…anything…

After a few moments it only smarted and the pain faded to a dull sensation. The master of the household sent her away, with a wave of his hand. She was an everyday occurrence, another Mudblood who was made to heel. Hermione didn't slide her sleeve back down; she didn't look at the brand on her arm. She walked with her head held high, her eyes on the hall in front of her as she returned to her room.

_I'm a witch. I'm a witch. I'm a witch._

Back in that bedroom, which she only did find by following the noises the servants made, she finally got up the courage to do it. She closed the door first, because she didn't want anyone to see her doing it. It was strange that she felt so weak for just wanting to see _it._

Hermione got up on the sink, up on her knees in a very delicate balancing act. She held up the arm in the mirror. When she saw it, she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Sliding down off the sink, she began to throw up into it. All that her mind could think of was that horrible black brand and that terrible noise that her wand had made when it had been snapped in two.

A horrible brand, even though it was just a letter. It even had the same fancy loops on it that it did on the gate. She was now part of the property. They owned her and there was nothing she could do about it.

She was now a part of the Malfoy estate.

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Dun, dun, DUN! Bet ya' didn't see that coming! Or, you probably did. But good stuff. Oh yes, my evil plan is now falling into place! Or my plot. Which could be evil. And long. There's so much stuff that has to happen...yikes. I'm gonna need like a world map and labeled thumb tacks...So many characters, so much storyline. Well, please review, it makes me know that people enjoy the story.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, I know it's been awhile, but ever since I saw the fourth movie, I've been slightly put out of things—mostly because the Hermione in the movies is becoming more and more OOC each film. Why was she crying like the entire fourth movie? Isn't that Cho's job? Argh, but well, I'm back in the game!

Nei—Actually, you were the only one who asked about the fact that Hermione should have been able to see her brand without looking in a mirror. That's true, but, it's more dramatic and more suspenseful the way I wrote it. Seriously, I can be a drama whore. Glad you like the rest though.

**Notes For All: **I think only one review didn't bring up Draco/Hermione. Since I do not confirm pairings while writing, I decided a long time ago not to deny them either. One of the reasons I put Hermione in that situation is I like the challenge of about a thousand other fics doing it before me to see if I can put a new shine on it. The other being I had a very similar idea for a story where all the HP people were thrown into a weird concentration camp/factory but I scrapped the idea because I already have an Inuyasha fanfic along those lines. _As I like to put it_: Just trust me on this, I sometimes know what I'm doing. (Funnily enough, I picture Hermione wearing the school uniform from that story—mostly the hat.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Swearing and er…stuff.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Three

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Susan Bones had of course taken charge of things. She firmly told Percy that she would explain anything he'd like after dinner, because she didn't like to talk about these sorts of things at the dinner table. Percy had protested, but he got the feeling that Susan couldn't be budged, and he wouldn't mind sitting down and having a meal in any case.

Smith and Ernie followed Susan down to the kitchen and hovered on stools on the other side of a long breakfast counter. There were only two stools so Percy had to stand there awkwardly, watching Susan go to work at preparing the meal.

"Do you want any help?" Percy offered and noted that Smith shot him a rather nasty look then.

"Oh, no." Susan shook her head and smiled at Percy. "I really like to do it on my own. If I let them, these two would do everything and I would just sit around all day doing nothing…"

"Susan, we're just doing our duty." Ernie puffed up defensively.

"And you do a great job, really, you do." Susan began chopping up carrots. "But sometimes you two get a little overboard…it's not as though I'm an invalid."

"There are too many windows in this kitchen." Smith looked sullen. "What if they looked inside? They'd have a clear shot at you."

"Don't you have any charms against that kind of thing?" Percy blinked in surprise.

"No." Susan explained. "Dumbledore thought it would be best if there were no magical protection on this property. Any Death Eaters would be immediately tipped off by a house with any kind of wards on it. If they think it's just a bunch of Muggles, there's a better chance they won't figure out I'm here."

"So Dumbledore's the one who put you in hiding?" Percy suddenly thought of the headmaster at Hogwarts, or he had been last Percy heard. Hogwarts was gone now, of course. But the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was said to be one of the greatest wizards who'd ever lived.

"Let's not talk about that now." Susan grimaced and focused herself completely on her task of chopping up vegetables.

"But—" Percy began but he was cut off.

"She said we _aren't_ talking about that now." Smith's tone held the faintest hint of a threat. "Are you deaf, or is that a Weasley problem?"

"Zacharias." Susan's tone was reprimanding.

"Don't mind him." Ernie looked important as he told this to Percy with the air of letting him in on a big secret. "I don't think he's ever quite gotten over the time that he asked out your sister and she misunderstood him."

"You asked out my sister?" Percy remembered that Zacharias had shown interest in his last name earlier.

"Ernie's got a big mouth." Zacharias shot at the other boy who was completely unfazed by it.

"That was back in our Hogwarts days…it feels like ages ago." Ernie reminisced. "Even though we haven't been gone longer than a year…"

"That was right before it was destroyed." Percy pointed out.

"Hush." Susan wasn't looking at them but it was definitely directed towards them. "Can't we talk about that later?"

"We had some great times there." Ernie went on, obviously not understanding any of Susan's reluctance. "Remember fifth year? I was made prefect…"

_"Percy the Prefect…"_

_"Yeah, perfect Percy…"_

Percy tried not to scowl at the echoes of his brothers.

"How could anyone forget? You were such a prat that whole year." Smith rolled his eyes. "Still are."

"That was an odd year though. Some of the strangest people were made prefects. Even though we had to attend meetings, we never spent too much time together. I was too busy with my own house and studying…" Ernie said in such a fashion that Percy have expected him to start smoking a pipe. "But I remember Hermione Granger was a prefect for the Gryffindors and Draco Malfoy was one of the prefects of Slytherin."

"Hermione Granger was really smart though." Susan piped in. Percy got the feeling she had no qualms talking about anything that didn't relate to one tragedy or another. He couldn't really blame her.

_How would you like being the last member of a family?_

That thought made shivers run up his spine. What if he _was _the last Weasley?

"She was the best student in our class!" Ernie countered. "But that doesn't mean she wasn't…weird. Not in a bad way. She seemed nice enough but she didn't have any friends. I always thought something _had _to be wrong with her. I remember Parvati Patil telling me once that Granger barely even spoke to _her _and they shared a room. Now, Draco Malfoy, he wasn't nice at all. He used to call me all sorts of names whenever our paths would cross…when his path crossed with anyone. He was always in a bad mood."

"Wait, a Malfoy?" Percy had just realized that he knew that name. "Lucius Malfoy's a Death Eater…"

"None of us really knew about that until later." Ernie waved a hand in the air. "There were rumors of course. I mean, he was in Slytherin and I think we all know what that meant…"

"I always felt kind of sorry for him." Susan spoke up thoughtfully. "He never really got a chance, did he? He has that awful father and growing up with that kind of atmosphere. Besides, he didn't seem like he was in a bad mood to me, he seemed like he was lonely."

"Susan, I realize you're trying to be fair-minded and show us some of that old Hufflepuff spirit, but I don't think you're looking at the whole picture." Ernie had the air of someone talking to a small child. "If someone's good, they're good. I say, if he's bad, he's always been bad. Nothing could have changed that. Look at old Smith here," Ernie clapped a hand on Smith's shoulder who quirked an un-amused eyebrow at his old school mate. "He can be a little on the mean side but I know that he's a good person."

"But then couldn't Malfoy—" Susan tried to say but Ernie cut her off.

"Susan, Susan, I think _I_ would know just a touch more about Draco Malfoy than you." Ernie waggled a finger at her. "Besides, I'm much better at reading people than you are. It's one of the reasons Dumbledore appointed me to guarding you from harm."

"I thought it was because you were an apple polisher." Smith shrugged Ernie's hand off his shoulder.

"Oh hush." Susan's brow crinkled in a cross fashion and the two boys went quiet.

There was very little talk after that until after they sat down and ate dinner. When the meal was finished and Ernie jumped up to clear the plates away, they finally began discussing the things Percy wanted to discuss.

"So…now we should talk." Susan's mouth set in a firm line. "What do you want to know, Percy?"

"I understand why you're in hiding." Percy began. "But did Dumbledore send you into hiding? Is Dumbledore still alive? Are you in communication with anyone? Why don't you have…" He glanced sideways at Smith and Ernie, hesitating slightly. "A little more protection?"

"After my Aunt Amelia died, Dumbledore knew it wouldn't be safe for me, especially since You-Know-Who wanted to kill off everyone in the Bones' family." Susan took a deep breath and Percy wondered for a moment what she was really thinking but didn't ask. "Hogwarts was no longer safe, so he recruited two of my housemates, two of my friends, and charged them with my protection. Dumbledore sends us messages, so, yes, he's still alive. The Order sometimes sends someone to check on us."

"The Order?" Percy quirked an eyebrow.

"The Order of the Phoenix." Ernie looked extremely proud. "Zach and I are both members. Dumbledore revived it when Voldemort came back. They're working to defeat him for good."

"They have a weapon." Susan put in. "It's hidden somewhere."

"What are they doing to defeat him? What's the weapon?" Percy leaned forward. As the only Ministry worker there, he felt it was important to glean as much information as possible.

"Order secrets should not be discussed with anyone who hasn't been sworn in." Ernie piped up.

"Which is Ernie's way of saying we don't know." Zach crossed his arms. "We were sworn in and then sent away in ten minutes. Susan knows what the weapon is." He jabbed a thumb at the dark-haired girl. Percy turned towards her, interested.

"I don't know what it is." Susan gave a half smile. "I always assumed it was, you know, the Boy Who Lived."

"Harry Potter?" Percy's tone was laced with disbelief. "No one's seen him for, what, seventeen years? An eighteen year old wizard is going to defeat Voldemort?"

"Even if he couldn't, his re-emergence could turn the tide of the war." Susan reasoned. "He's a symbol of hope."

"Did you know that if Dumbledore hadn't put him in hiding to protect him from You-Know-Who's followers, Harry Potter would have been in our year at school?" Ernie announced the fact as though it were a personal accomplishment of his. "He might have even been a Hufflepuff."

"He certainly wouldn't be a Gryffindor." Zach muttered out of the corner of his mouth, looking sulky. "He's not quick to get out of hiding and help, is he?"

I heard he's learning secret magic from Dumbledore." Ernie gave Zach an unhappy look. "He survived _avada kedavra_, he's probably got all sorts of powers we can only dream of."

"Ernie wants to be just like Harry Potter when he grows up." Zach remarked snidely. Ernie began to look peeved.

"Anyways, to find the weapon, someone would have to find me." Susan changed the subject quickly. "I have the first clue to where it's hidden."

"Really?" Percy pushed his glasses up his nose. "You're the first clue?"

"No, no, no, I _have _the first clue." Susan reiterated. "I don't know what it means…I always figured that whoever Dumbledore sent would know what it meant."

"Who cares if anyone ever finds Harry Potter?" Zach slumped in his chair. "It's not like he did anything _heroic_."

"But he was Voldemort's downfall!" Ernie argued.

"That's funny, I could have sworn he came back." Zach stood up, obviously angry. "Where was Harry Potter _then_!" With that, he stormed out of the kitchen. Susan's brow furrowed in worry.

"Voldemort killed his parents." Susan's voice was very small. Percy just nodded.

"I'm not sure that's a very good reason to explode like that." Ernie straightened his shirt primly. "After all, Susan, _you _don't—"

"There's a difference between Zach and I." Susan spoke stiffly and Percy was strongly reminded of Susan's aunt. Then she turned back towards the red-haired young man. "Percy, you haven't told us much about you."

"Oh!" Percy looked a little startled at the change of subject. "After the Ministry was destroyed, I've been wandering all over the country. Mostly to find the Ministry but also…" He swallowed hard. No need to get emotional. "But also anyone who could use help in the war."

"Well, you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you want." Susan offered. "We can't really send messages but if an Order member," Ernie puffed out his chest, "Stops by, you could go with them to see what you can do for them."

"I've heard a lot of wizards and witches have fled Britain and gone elsewhere. Rumor has it that there's a bunch waiting in France." Ernie leaned in. "Besides, I think _everyone _knows where Harry Potter is hiding out."

"Ernie, there's no—" Susan tried but Ernie went on as though no one had spoken.

"In Japan." Ernie confided Percy. "Dumbledore very famously visited Osaka in his younger years. The north part, there's a large population of wizards there."

"But if everyone knows about it, isn't that the first place everyone will look? Besides," Percy put in. "If anyone knows where Harry Potter is, it's the Ministry. If he's half as important as you think he is, the Ministry wouldn't trust his safety with just anyone."

"Dumbledore isn't just anyone." Susan pointed out.

"Dumbledore isn't _part _of the Ministry." Percy went on, glad to be able to show how things _really _worked to these younger ones. "No one denies he was in high standing but at the same time, the Ministry is still in charge where it really counts."

"Dumbledore's in charge of the Order!" Ernie looked shocked by Percy's words. "And the Order is leading the fight against You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters."

"There's no reason to argue over it." Susan spoke in a relatively calm but firm tone. "Percy, once again, you can stay here with us. When another member of the Order comes, you can ask if they know anything about your family or your friends from the Ministry."

_"What would you do without me, Percy?"_

It didn't do any good to think of her.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to bed." Susan smiled at them. "Good night."

"Good night, Susan." Ernie watched her leave the room to go upstairs, his eyebrows slightly raised. He turned back towards Percy. "I think Susan likes you."

"What?" Percy looked a little alarmed. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing like _that_." Ernie assured him, looking a bit amused. "Nah, I mean she just thinks you're a good guy."

"Ah." Percy stood up. "That's fine. I think I'll go to bed too." Ernie scrambled after him, not wanting to sit alone in the kitchen.

A few hours later, Percy was lying awake still, staring into the darkness of the room. This place didn't seem bad but he knew he didn't really belong. Those three were friends, had possibly always been friends, but he didn't know them. Maybe he had been wandering for so long because he never felt comfortable anywhere.

There was a long creak in the hallway and Percy stiffened in response. They had given them back his wand and his hand slid under the pillow to grip it. Someone was definitely walking down the hall. He slid out of bed, silently creeping to his door.

The person in the hall opened one of the doors. Percy briefly thought it might be someone going to the bathroom but realized in was the wrong side of the hall. The person had gone into what was quite possibly Susan's room.

Percy slowly turned the doorknob but as he did, he heard Susan's door close again and footsteps heading back down the hall. As he opened the door, he barely caught a glimpse of Zach disappearing back into his own room.

He sighed in relief but couldn't help but wonder what Smith had been doing…probably just checking on her. Ernie and him both took their duty very seriously.

_Her eyes were closed and she was snoring peacefully, her head resting on an open textbook but Percy couldn't bring himself to wake her. It was a brief moment that he could have, where he felt closer to her, because wide awake, he wasn't close to anyone._

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I know, not a whole lot happening in this chapter but it's still good. Next chapter…well, I bet you guys wanna check back in with Her-my-oh-knee. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

I have the funniest notes in the margins of this notebook. Like, "Is Harry a Parselmouth in this story? Discuss with Teresa." This is crossed out with an arrow pointing away from it to a note that says, "Nah, decided against it." And "Wait, where are the notes on (insert secret plot device here)?" (Actually, I have no idea where that piece of paper went. I _think _it's under my Super Nintendo…but now I'm a bit worried. I'll find it after this.

Tawa: Don't worry, I'm in no hurry to abandon this story. I intend to see it all the way through. I'm glad you enjoy the Percy and the Hufflepuffs. About the 'her' that Percy keeps alluding to…no, I didn't say who it was. All shall be revealed…eventually.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. He's a scrub.

Warnings: I don't know what to say without giving it away! WAHHHHHHHH!

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Four

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Amazingly, for the first week, Hermione found herself falling into a basic routine. Get up, eat quickly, report to Lucius Malfoy's office, and write letters that he dictated, organize things alphabetically. Lucius Malfoy had an orderly system and carefully watched her as she worked, because he was smart enough to realize that servants had eyes and tongues that could spill secrets. There was no pausing to look at any of his personal correspondence and Hermione wasn't stupid enough to do so.

Not that she wasn't naturally curious, she just didn't want to know what happened to servants who couldn't help but look. The only place she was allowed to pause was the library.

The library, under any other circumstances, would be some sort of literary playland for her, but as it was, there was something suffocating about it. However, if she ignored the other scribbling servants (there were only five of them) and didn't think about where she was, she could pretend she was in the Hogwarts' library. The other scribbling servants were just fellow students, studying for the next exam.

Because the library was under lock and key, Hermione was given a small silver key to get in and out. There was no way in or out of the library except the main doors. Except the rumor that there _were_ secret doors that only the Malfoys knew about, according to Justin Finch-Fletchley.

The second day she was there, eating breakfast, she was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hermione Granger?" Justin Finch-Fletchley slid onto the bench next to her. She remembered him vaguely from school, they had had Herbology together and he was one of the few people who had been friendly with her without being overly friendly. She knew they meant well but the awkward attempts of others to always "include her" had never really sat well with her. It was like Hermione wasn't apart of their world and someone was trying to wedge her in anyways.

"Hi." Hermione didn't smile, she felt rather solemn that morning.

"I never thought I'd see someone like you here." Justin began eating his watery porridge. "I work in the yards, are you in the kitchens?"

"No, secretary and in the library." Hermione kept her voice low.

"That's not awful." Justin shrugged. Then he leaned closer. "Look, this is all bad—as bad as it gets, don't get me wrong, but you've got to find some sort of up side."

"I know." Hermione nodded. "How long have you been here?"

"Three months." Justin glanced down. "Have you seen…?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow. "Malfoy. Junior, I mean."

"No." Hermione shook her head briefly.

Draco Malfoy. She had met him in school, same year—different houses. She didn't really _know _him but he didn't seem like the type of person she'd _like_ to know. All that Hermione remembered was a sneering face, blonde hair, and a few snide comments during prefect meetings about certain people's parentage. She hadn't caught even a glimpse of the Malfoy heir. Not that she particularly wanted to. It was strange how everything turned around so fast.

You learned quickly to keep your head down, don't draw attention to yourself, and as Justin advised, avoid any "guests", ("They're all Death Eaters—every time the Lestranges come by, a few people suddenly disappear.") or Narcissa Malfoy—the absolutely forbidding lady of the house. Hermione and Justin always sat together during breakfast but she had dinner much later than he did. It wasn't much but she was glad for the small amount of companionship.

On the third night there, Hermione found she couldn't sleep and would sneak back into the library. She knew that there'd be trouble if she spirited any books back to her room she read in the library. Surprisingly, the library wasn't full of books of Dark Magic. She began ready dusty tomes of history. It was her small act of rebellion and it made her feel just a little bit better, almost, well, _mischievous_. Hermione had never gotten in trouble in school and was vehement about rules in general so the idea of sort of breaking (it hadn't been forbidden) the rules was dangerously thrilling for her.

By the end of the week, Hermione wondered if she formulate an escape plan.

_I'm a witch._

There had to be maps of the estate and maybe, just maybe there was a way to do it. Should others be in on it? Maybe Justin, but too many people and it could come out.

_I won't stay here. I'm a witch. I'll get out and somehow…I'll get to France._

France seemed like a very reasonable idea. She had gone there once during a summer holiday and her French was okay. How one would get to France was a bit of a problem. She couldn't bribe anyone because she had no money. Hermione's escape plan couldn't involve magic either—she had no wand.

That night, after half an hour of pretending to be asleep, she slid out of bed, thinking she'd find some maps of the estate. Justin must know the schedules of the servants and especially the ones who worked outside. Together, they might just be able to pull it off. Hermione touched the brand on her arm, which only strengthened her resolve.

_The important thing is not to get caught. I'm going to survive this. They don't want me to…but I will._

Hermione scurried quietly to the library, trying not to shiver. It was always freezing cold—like a museum. She wondered if that's why Narcissa and Lucius were in such horrible moods all the time. She pulled out her key and slowly turned it in the lock.

The click was always far too loud and always made her breath catch, but this time there was a noise that followed that made her heart stop.

"What are you doing?" A cold, drawling voice cracked through the air like a whip. Hermione jumped, jerking the key out of the lock, and dropping it. She winced at the loud '_plink_!' it made when it hit the ground.

Draco Malfoy was leaning against a pillar, his arms crossed. Hermione took a deep breath and tried to keep from visibly shaking.

_Now I've done it. Caught sneaking into the library._

"I know you." Draco's mouth twisted into a little frown. "Weren't you that Mudblood Gryffindor girl? The one with no friends and a load of books?"

Hermione just stared straight at him.

_Don't respond. He wants to provoke you. It'll be worse if you say anything._

"Yes, you are, aren't you?" He straightened up, smirking. "The one who was every teacher's favorite. Perfect little Mudblood Granger. You must have thought the world of yourself when you beat me in _every _exam."

"What?" Hermione could have cursed herself at the time. Why had she spoken? But she didn't know that anyone held a grudge against her for always receiving top marks and getting the best exam scores.

"Don't tell you don't know." Draco looked irritated that she didn't immediately recognize what he was talking about. Then he raised an eyebrow. "Well, now you can beg me not to tell on you. My father won't like this one bit but maybe," Draco looked horribly smug. "If you get on your hands and knees, I'll consider showing, oh, what do you Gryffindors call it? Mercy?" That horrid look on his face, the cruel little laugh that he gave after his little speech; Hermione's eyes narrowed and she glared, her fist clenched. For one shining moment she considered punching him in the face but knew it's just what a pathetic little cockroach like him would want. Her mouth tightened but she didn't respond.

A few moments of silence and Draco began tapping his foot. He proceeded to glare right back at her.

"You just wait until my father hears about this!" Draco snarled at her, before turning to walk away.

"I don't care." Hermione snapped, unable to stop herself. Draco spun around on his heel suddenly.

"What did you just say?" His face twitched in fury.

"I said I don't care." Hermione scooped the key off the ground and with a determined look; she turned and ran back to her room.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. _

There would be no escape plan now. There would be some horrible punishment…Hermione couldn't go to sleep, the anxiety was building up. Horrible visions danced through her head and all she could do was lie there. But what else could she have done? Even deep down, she knew that nothing in the world could have made her beg Draco Malfoy for anything—especially not for him not to tell. He was going to tel no matter what. But maybe…maybe she could think of some lie.

_I could say I couldn't sleep so I went to do more work…but will they believe me?_

She thought of the malicious light in Lucius Malfoy's eyes as he branded her arm. No, it was no good, but she could try.

When the morning light started to peak through, Hermione, gloomy, bleary-eyed, and tired, emerged from her room.

"What's wrong with you?" Justin asked in concern and Hermione could only bite her lip.

"Something bad. I'll tell you later." Hermione refused to elaborate, feeling the walls closing in around her.

The walk to the study seemed such a horrible distance. Might as well get it over with. She pushed open the large doors and went to sit at the little desk. Lucius didn't look up from whatever it was he was reading.

The silence was unbearable. The clock ticked badly and every time it did, her heart jumped. Why wasn't he saying anything? Lucius set whatever he was reading aside.

"Start a letter." Lucius commanded and Hermione robotically pulled a sheet of paper towards herself. After seeing her dip her quill, he took a deep breath. "Mister Macnair, comma," He began but the rest of the letter was halted by someone busting through the doors.

Draco Malfoy stopped halfway into the room and Hermione's blood ran cold.

_This is it._

"Draco, did you just burst into my study _without permission_?" Lucius' tone would have made any servant scramble.

"My apologies, father." Draco didn't look like he meant this in the least. "But I wanted to talk to you about this servant here." Hermione felt all the blood drain from her face.

"What about it?" Lucius didn't even glance in her direction. Draco shot Hermione a look that made her want to shiver.

_He's going to tell…he's going to tell…_

"You already have to _other _secretaries father." Draco pointed out. "I want one too. This one seems suitable."

"I'll arrange—" Lucius began but Draco stomped his foot.

"I want _this _one." Draco's tone sounded spectacularly like a whine. Hermione was frozen. What was going on? "She'll be my servant."

"Fine." Lucius snapped. "One Mudblood is as good as the next. However, Draco, the next time you come into this study as though you are the master of this house, you'll find yourself in a very uncomfortable cell in the dungeon. You," Lucius barked at Hermione. "Get out of here."

Hermione stood, barely curtsied, and walked out of the room as quickly as possible. What had just happened? Why didn't Draco tell on her? Then she realized what a horrible revenge he was having on her. He'd always have that secret to hold over her head.

_I'm a witch. I'm a witch._

"I'm a witch." Hermione murmured to herself.

"What?" Draco was right behind her. He made a face. "You aren't touched in the head, are you?"

"No." Hermione didn't look at him.

"You should be thanking me." Draco held his head high as he walked. "For not telling." He reminded her. Hermione said nothing. "Come on, we're going to my study." Draco sped up so he could walk in front of her.

Up a couple flights of stairs and down a long hallway, she found herself in a slightly smaller study. Draco closed the doors behind her.

"Sit down." He indicated a chair for her. The blonde-haired young man paced a little bit before speaking again. "I've decided to honor you with a great privilege."

"Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Because I choose to." Draco leaned forward, looking as though he were trying to stare her down. "You didn't beg me last night not to tell. At first, I thought you were just trying to spit me but really, I think you wanted to win my respect. Not that you did, mind you. You're a servant. You don't give respect to the help." Draco explained to her before walking a few steps away to look out the window. Hermione grimaced. What she wouldn't give to be able to set him straight! "So you will be my…confidante."

"Your…what?" Hermione raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"After deciding that you're slightly intelligent—for someone of inferior birth—I've gotten the idea that you will be my confidante." Draco looked unhindered by her questioning, bewildered expression as he turned around. "I'll tell you plans I have, secrets, ideas, that sort of thing. You'll do my bidding and not tell a soul anything I tell you. Normally I would just tell Crabbe or Goyle but they're both too stupid to really appreciate anything I have to say—besides the fact that I haven't seen both of them for months."

_Is he…serious?_

"We aren't friends, of course." Draco immediately put in, in case there was any confusion on that particular point. "It wouldn't do to get friendly with the working class. I know," Draco went on, completely mistaking the look on Hermione's face. "But you can converse with me in private. Say whatever you like, you can even suggest ideas to _me_. I probably won't pay any attention to them but feel free."

_That is without a doubt, the most conceited, idiotic thing I have _ever_ heard_.

"You'll be allowed to use the library." Draco waved a hand and Hermione realized that Draco thought he was being _generous_. "And your quarters will be moved closer to mine—I don't want to wait half the morning for you to get up here. I think nicer clothes would catch Father's attention…I mean," Draco faltered. "Make the other servants complain so you'll have to keep those ugly rags."

It suddenly occurred to Hermione that the reason she wasn't allowed to repeat any of this wasn't because _Draco _liked having secrets, but because he didn't want his father to find out.

The plus side to this was the continued use of the library. Even if she had to pretend to listen to the most unbearable git in the world prattle on and on, she could do it. The idea of Draco's expression when she successfully escaped the estate was what would help keep her going.

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Draco was a bit of a crack up during this chapter. He is _so _petty. When he had the line about how she was intelligent for someone of "inferior birth", all I could think was, "How very Pride and Prejudice of you, Draco." God, what a weirdo. I mean, I love his character but sometimes…Before anyone comments, when Lucius says, "What about it?" in reference to Hermione—that was on purpose. Please review. Next time…some more Percy.


	5. Chapter 5

Yeah, we're back. With Percy. And the whole funky Hufflepuff gang. Why are there so many Hufflepuffs in this story? I dunno. It's easy to take swings at the noble house of the badger, but it's not as easy to keep everyone interested in a story where they feature…well, no one really features in this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Pie. No, that's a lie. Or is it?

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Five

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The first large explosion sent Zacharias shooting up in bed. He hadn't been asleep very long, but the noise had shaken the whole house. He looked out the window to see _what_ had made that noise and only caught flashes of light in the distance. They were too low for fireworks and instinctively he knew it was magic.

Down the hall, Susan yelled out in surprise and Zacharias practically fell out of bed as he scrambled to get to her. Although he saw both Ernie and Percy in the hallway, he didn't even acknowledge them as he threw open the door to Susan's room, his wand out.

"Zacharias!" Susan exclaimed. "No, I'm fine, it's just Hannah." Zach's eyes swung to a witch sitting in a chair. Hannah Abbott was wearing black robes and a witch hat, but still was instantly recognizable.

"I thought you were in trouble." Zach muttered. Susan obviously didn't understand the idea that if she yelled out like that, he was going to have to come running.

"Hi Zach." Hannah greeted him. "I Apparated here. I meant to arrive in the living room but I guess I didn't get it quite right—Ernie!" Hannah enthusiastically greeted her other old schoolmate. "It's been ages!"

"Hannah, how have you been?" Ernie shook her hand with equal enthusiasm. "Do you know anything about these explosions we're having?" As if on cue, another explosion rattled the windows.

"Yes, I've come to explain and—who's this?" Hannah noticed Percy, who was leaning over Susan's bed to look out the window.

"Percy Weasley." Zach fired off. "Explain what, Hannah?" Hannah opened her mouth, obviously to make a comment about Percy but saw the look on Zach's face and decided against it.

"Well, there's a fight going on. Some Order members and Death Eaters. It's too close. But Dumbledore has a plan." Hannah told them quickly, standing up, and straightening her robes. "You're all to go and find the weapon. I trust, Susan, that you have the first clue?" Then Hannah turned back towards Percy. "A Weasley! Well, this _is _news! I'll tell the Order, but for now, you better go with Susan."

"Wait, us?" Ernie tried to elbow into the conversation. "Dumbledore wants us to go find the weapon? Why us? Why now?"

"Dumbledore's orders!" Hannah threw her hands up in exasperation. "I wish people would stop asking—although up until now it's been, 'Why not us?' Besides, if Susan's on the move, it's only that much harder to find her…" Zach seemed to approve of this.

"That last explosion was awfully close." Percy observed.

"What _are_ you doing, Susan?" Zach asked in exasperation as Susan, in her night gown, raced around to get parchment, ink, and quills.

"I need them." Susan was busy putting the things into a small bag.

"Here, Susan." Hannah flicked her wand and black robes appeared. Susan quickly put them on over her nightgown.

"Good work, Hannah." Ernie complimented the pale-haired witch who smiled back. Ernie, Zach, and Percy went to their rooms to get dressed. Within a matter of minutes, they were all downstairs, standing in the foyer.

"We're Apparating." Hannah informed them. "Well, _you're _Apparating to the beach, right where it hits that cliff in the distance. You can make your plans from there—there's a cave in the Cliffside. I'm supposed to head back to headquarters but I'll try to come back and check on you later, depending on what Dumbledore says. Good-bye." Hannah gave a little wave and with a crack, she was gone.

"The beach next to where it hits the cliff." Susan repeated to herself and they all Apparated.

An instant later, Percy found himself on the sand. From the splash and the cursing, he knew that Zach had landed in the water.

"_Lumos_." Susan whispered and she used her wand to briefly illuminate where the cave was. "_Nox_." She put out the light, looking nervously over her shoulder.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Zach." Ernie was overheard telling the other blonde-haired boy. "You never _really_ got the hang of Apparating."

When they were all in the cave, which turned out to be quite deep, Susan re-lit her wand and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Dumbledore wants us to find the weapon. What's the first clue?" Percy asked as Susan wrote carefully.

"Here." Susan handed Percy the piece of parchment. Percy stared at it for a moment, not looking like he comprehended it in the least.

"This is gibberish." Percy announced in a flat voice.

"It's the first clue, just how Dumbledore told me to write it." Susan insisted, almost defensively.

"Let me see." Ernie grabbed it from Percy eagerly but when he read it, he handed it back to Susan. "Are you feeling alright, Su?"

"Look, it's a clue. We have to solve it." Susan put the parchment down on a rock so they could all see it at once.

_Bad faith, my aami de cour._

"It's gibberish." Zach agreed with Percy.

"Well," Percy was looking at it thoughtfully now. "If the clue means 'ami' with only one 'a', not two, then 'ami de cour' translates to 'court friend' or 'insincere friend'."

"I'm afraid I still don't understand." Ernie waited for further explanation.

"Then it does make a little sense." Percy took Susan's quill and under it wrote:

Bad faith, my insincere friend.

"Great, now we're solved it, now we'll be able to find the weapon—oh wait, no we won't." Zach snapped sarcastically.

"Zacharias, Percy's doing his best. Dumbledore never told me the answer so we've got to work together." Susan touched Zach's arm which quieted him but he still looked a bit peeved at the clue for not being easy to solve.

"Maybe…" Percy tapped the quill thoughtfully on his chin. "This part is in French." He pointed to what Susan wrote. "But this part isn't." So he began to write again.

_Mal foi, my insincere friend._

"Mal foi?" Ernie blinked. Then he gasped. "Mal foi? _Malfoy_! The clue is Malfoy! The family…"

"The Malfoys?" Susan looked alarmed. "But they're Death Eaters!"

"It does say my _insincere _friend." Zach pointed out.

"Maybe the next clue is hidden in the Malfoy estate." Ernie chimed in. "Where's the best place to hide something? The last place anyone would look, of course!"

"But you can't just Apparate to Malfoy manor." Percy cut in. "We can Apparate about twenty miles away and walk the rest. It'll be less obvious that way."

"How will we sneak in?" Susan looked worried.

"We could watch the place for a few days, see what we need to get by." Percy barely remembered the required course Ministry officials had to take on Law Enforcement. "No unnecessary risks."

"Susan shouldn't go in." Zach put in immediately. Susan looked like she was about to protest but Zach took a step towards her. "It's too dangerous. If we don't make it out, who's going to find the weapon?"

"No, he's right." Percy nodded in agreement with Zach. "The Ministry doesn't want to lose our last Bones. When we sneak in, you'll wait for us."

"I'm sure there'll be nothing to worry about." Ernie reassured Susan, who looked a little downcast. "It's just the Malfoy home, it's not like we're rushing into You-Know-Who's bathroom while he's taking a bubble bath. Even though the Malfoys are thought to be second in command. And their completely foul family has all been in Slytherin…"

"Ernie." Zach interrupted. "Shut. Up." Ernie just nodded.

"But how will we know where to look?" Susan asked. "I mean, how will you three know where to look?"

"I'm sure it'll become clear when we get there." Percy decided. "Dumbledore didn't give us this clue so we could wander about. Something about it will make sense when we get there."

"Do you really think its Harry Potter?" Ernie looked excited. "Imagine that! It'll make an incredible story some day, the four of us, going to find him and when we come back, winning the war! This," Ernie stood up on a flat rock in the cave. "Is the most important thing we'll ever do, comrades!"

"I think we should Apparate." Susan pulled out a map of England. It was just like a normal map except it also had magical places marked. Some things, of course, you can't put on a map, so there were some names with question marks by them. "Here." Malfoy Manor was important enough to be on the map and Susan pointed to a forest about thirty miles away from the Manor. "That way we'll have plenty of cover."

"Good idea, Susan." Percy said with approval. Susan put her things back in her bag.

"Everyone ready?" Susan asked. All of them nodded. "Let's go then."

And in a moment, it was as if no one had been there at all.

-------------------

Gee, wherever could this be going? Ernie is such a _dork_, but I love writing him. I had a very strong mental image of his "comrades" speech. Did they get the clue right? Will they successfully sneak into Malfoy Manor? When they get there, will Hermione have already snapped and killed Draco? Tune in next time! (Sorry this chapter was so short! The next one is long!) Don't forget to review! (I'd love to see what your guesses about the clue are!)


	6. Chapter 6

Choo, choo! This story is so exciting for me! It's going places man. It really is. (Somewhat literally.) And so far, everyone seems to be along for the ride.

Pobbin: If I banned you from reviewing, I wouldn't have your reviews to look forward to. Just Teresa's, which include interesting tidbits such as, "A guy called in to Comcast today and his name was Gred". (See, 'cause Gred and Forge?) I'm glad my clues aren't totally lame. Well, at least the first one isn't.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Draco, Draco, Draco!

---------------------------

Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Six

---------------------------

Hermione Granger had always felt like a very reasonable and logical person. She was polite to others, she was fairly forgiving when it came to other people, and she always tried to see the other person's side of things. She wasn't particularly violent, though she had snapped at first years for being too loud when she was studying for N.E.W.T.s but she made up for it by buying them all sweets because she felt bad.

Hermione Granger never thought she'd daydream about strangling another person until she met Draco Malfoy.

Self-centered didn't begin to cover Draco's attitude towards the world. It was as though everyone else, every _sane _person, thought the world was round and Draco still went on about it as though it were flat—and burned anyone at the stake who disagreed with him. Hermione had nail marks on her palms where she clenched her fists to keep from barraging him with name after name after name.

_If I had my wand, I'd curse his vocal cords so badly that they'd never work again._

The first morning of being Draco's "confidante", Hermione had been having breakfast with Justin (Draco had her quarters moved to his side of the huge manor, but it hadn't occurred to him that Hermione would still have to walk to where the other servants ate _anyways_), and it was rather important that she talk to him.

"Justin " Hermione saw that they were a little apart from the others. He looked up—usually it was him who started the conversation. "I'm coming up with something." Justin's eyes widened. "I need your help though."

"Yeah?" Justin's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, I—" Hermione began.

"Granger." One of the maids, who looked rather harried, tapped her on the shoulder. "Young master Malfoy insists you come see him at once." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What's that about?" Justin looked alarmed.

"Nothing, I'll tell you later." Hermione got up. She doubted that Draco would care that she hadn't finished her breakfast. She followed a maid all the way up to Draco's room. When she got there, she was greeted by the sight of Draco eating _his _breakfast. Her stomach felt very empty when she saw the platter of steaming sausages, or the eggs. Or the toast with jam _and _butter.

"This breakfast is awful." Draco shoved his plate away as he complained to a male servant. "Just because _you _didn't have the good sense to be born a Pureblood doesn't mean you have to ruin _my _day. Take it away, maybe the dogs will eat this but _I _won't."

Hermione knew it was going to be a very long day.

"You!" Draco spotted her. "Sit down. As my confidante, you are to eat all meals with me."

_Damn, how am I suppose to talk to Justin now?_

She had to spend the entire _day _with Draco which was a crash course in self-control. Her job, Hermione surmised, was just to agree with everything he said and any additional comments should just be something that could keep him going.

It would have been easier if he didn't seem to be trying to deliberately get on her nerves.

"I had lots of friends in school." Draco was saying to her on her third afternoon. "And it's obvious why. I'm rich, I'm a Malfoy, and all that. You didn't have friends—because no one wants to be friends with a dumpy Muggle-born girl. Am I right?" Hermione gritted her teeth. Draco looked disappointed at her lack of response. "Look at your place in life. It's very fitting that you look up to me and listen to all my words of wisdom."

Hermione was gripped with a violent image of beating Draco with his chair.

"You agree that this is the best thing that could have ever happened to you, right?" Draco had an expectant look on his face. Hermione stifled a sigh.

"Yes, the best thing that could ever happen to me is to get to spend my days listening to you talk." Hermione said through clenched teeth. It didn't sound as though she meant it in the least.

"I knew you were smart." Draco had an evil little smirk and she knew he was doing this on purpose to get at her. "But you can be awfully boring you know. Can't you be a little more interesting?"

On the seventh day, Draco insisted he wished to walk on the grounds and a miserable Hermione had to tag along. She trailed after him as he described what made the perfect yard undesirable. ("Look, leaves on the grass. The servants are _so _lazy.") As he rounded a corner, still talking, Hermione saw Justin a few feet away.

"Justin." Hermione hissed urgently. Chances were that Draco wouldn't even _notice _she was missing for a few moments.

"Hermione." Justin picked up the shovel he was using and leaned against it to talk to her. "I haven't seen you for a week! What's going on?"

"Sorry, Malfoy's made me his secretary and he insists I spend the whole day with him—including meals." Hermione rolled her eyes. "We need to meet. Can you get to the library at midnight tonight? I'm allowed to go there whenever I want now."

"His secretary?" Justin raised his eyebrows. "Some of the others thought he was…er…" He blushed. Hermione hit him in the arm.

"That's disgusting. Seriously, I feel physically ill." Hermione found she felt like Justin was her friend. They were in this together. It was a nice feeling. "Midnight—"

"Granger." Draco had realized she wasn't following him. He did not look very happy right then. Justin walked off quickly, whistling nonchalantly. "Who was that?"

"Him?" Hermione made her face as bland as possible. "No idea. I tripped over his shovel."

"He looked awfully familiar." Draco tapped his chin speculatively. "I think he was in our year…"

"Really?" Hermione pretended to be surprised. "I wouldn't know, I was too busy studying and not having friends because I'm a lowly Mudblood."

"Something's up." Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

_You think?_

_Pureblood obviously doesn't equal intelligent._

"Hmm, what were you saying about the grass when I fell?" Hermione changed the subject.

"Oh, yes, I think the grass could definitely be greener, don't you? Green suits my complexion and I want it to be obvious when I'm outside." Draco began and Hermione settled into a word game in her head. How many words that started with a certain letter could she think of that described Draco. She was currently on 'v'. Vain, vapid…

Half an hour later, as Draco gave his permission for her to have tea in one of the gazebos with him, (not that she had _asked_) Hermione was sure he had forgotten the whole thing.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley!" Draco exclaimed and Hermione sprayed tea out of her mouth in surprise. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"I wouldn't know." Hermione tried weakly.

"Are you _friends_ with him?" Draco said it as though 'friends' were a dirty word.

"No." Hermione denied, keeping her face perfectly straight.

"You are!" Draco accused her. "You can't be friends with him!"

"What, why?" Hermione sputtered.

"Ha! You admitted it!" Draco looked triumphant. "Because, you're _my _confidante. Are you telling him things I've said?"

_Who would even _want _to know what you've said?  
_

"No, I didn't tell him anything." Hermione couldn't believe that _Draco _had tricked her. Bookwise, he probably was smart, but mentally he was three years old.

"I don't believe you." Draco hit a hand on the table.

"That's because we aren't friends! You trust _friends_, you don't trust people you've enslaved! And if you think I'm going to sit here and keep reassuring you that I didn't say anything, you're wrong!" Hermione snapped at him. Draco looked momentarily stunned and then recovered quickly. He grinned.

"_Finally_, you get interesting!" Draco clapped his hands together. "But this whole Finch-Fletchley business is really bothersome for me. You should really try thinking of someone other than yourself, Granger."

It took everything Hermione had not to tell him that what he just said was the pot calling the kettle black.

----------------------

At midnight, Hermione unlocked the door to the library and stood there, partially in the room so if someone other than Justin (say, Draco for instance) came around the corner, she could disappear inside quickly.

She stood there waiting for a long time. Twelve-thirty, still no Justin. He didn't seem like the type to forget something so important. One o' clock. One-thirty. Two.

A horrible idea sprang into her head. Hermione left the library, fury seizing hold like it had never before as she stalked down the hallways. When she got there, when she got to her destination, Hermione threw open the door to Draco's bedroom. When the door closed loudly behind her, he sat up suddenly. He had obviously been asleep.

"Whazzit?" Draco had one eye open.

"_What did you do_?" Hermione demanded to know.

"What do you mean?" Draco stretched in an irritated fashion. "You know, Granger, I need a certain amount of sleep each night or I'm grumpy in the morning. I'm sleeping for your benefit too."

"Where's Justin?" Hermione ignored him.

"Oh, him. You don't have to worry about him anymore, I got rid of him for you. Can I go back to sleep now?" Draco looked extremely put upon.

"What do you mean, 'you got rid of him'?" Hermione asked through clenched teeth.

"Got him sent somewhere else. Probably to Nott's but he could be at the Lestrange's, they go through Mudbloods so fast…" Draco shrugged.

"You…you…how could you? Justin's a human being!" Hermione was so angry she thought she might burst into tears. "I didn't ask you to get rid of him!"

"Why are you so upset?" Draco looked bewildered and then he got a knowing look on his face. "I know what this is about."

"You couldn't _possibly_…" Hermione wanted to say so much at once that she didn't know where to start.

"You're mad that I told you we aren't friends. I can tell that's what caused your outburst today. You made perfect sense, of course. I can't trust a servant. You're no longer my confidante." Hermione's jaw dropped. She didn't have to listen to Draco all day? She never had to see him again? It was like a dream come true. Perhaps if they manor had gone up in flames and Justin was returned, it would have been perfect, but she'd take what she could get. "However, I do trust friends, like Crabbe and Goyle. Loyal, good at not talking…always doing everything I say…I've decided that you will be my friend. Not in public of course." Draco added on that small disclaimer. "And none of this can ever get back to my father. See, now, I reward good service. And I'm quite forgiving. I'm willing to overlook all this Finch-Fletchley business as long as it never happens again." Draco wagged a finger at her before lying back down and turning over. Hermione threw her hands up in the air and stomped out of the room.

_I hate you, I hate you, I _hate_ you!_

_No wonder you have to order people to be friends with you, you're awful._

_Justin…I'm really sorry, Justin…_

Hermione went back to her room and collapsed on her bed. She felt hot tears well up as she realized she had absolutely nobody now. Looking up at her ceiling she vowed she would escape this awful house the first chance she got.

---------------------------

Two days of being Draco's friend later, she was no closer to finding a way out. Everything was just about the same as before and Hermione tried not to rise to anymore of his bait. Maybe if he got bored with her, she could go back to working in the library.

She decided to go to the library that night, after Draco "dismissed" her. She had no idea where Draco got his definition of "friendship" but he seemed to have missed a few crucial points.

It was very late and Hermione knew a late night in the library would cost her in the morning. As she was opening the door, someone stopped her.

"What do you do in there?" Draco asked.

"I thought you were going to bed." Hermione moaned.

"Sometimes I can't sleep." Draco looked a little huffy. "Try being a little more sensitive." It was a good thing he turned so he didn't see Hermione roll her eyes and do a silent impression of him. She went inside. No good trying to get anything done _tonight_. If only Justin hadn't been sent away…

_Wait a second! Didn't Justin say something about secret doors that _only _the Malfoys know about?_

"I heard there are secret doors in this place." Hermione began. "Some of the servants were talking about them. Is it true?"

"Of _course_ it's true." Draco gave her a superior look.

"I bet you know where they all are." Hermione hoped she looked really impressed. "I'd never be able to keep all that straight…I got lost at Hogwarts a lot. Your house is really neat."

_I can only hope he buys this._

"There's one right here in the library." Draco informed her, looking mollified.

"You're just messing with me, right?" Hermione wanted to shove him against a wall by his collar and demand her show her the damn secret doors but she knew that would never get the job done. "I've never seen any secret doors in here…"

"There is, I'll show you." Draco began to lead her past a few rows of books. "Of course you can get onto the grounds from the passages…or even _outside the grounds_." Hermione winced. Looks like Draco wasn't very gullible. "Please, did you think you had me convinced for one second?"

He rounded on her but as he did, someone suddenly tackled him to the ground. Hermione didn't have any time to be surprised before she was tackled too.

"Did you get the other one, Zach?" One voice asked whoever was on top of Hermione.

"Get off me, I'm a _Malfoy_, you can't—" Whoever was on top of Draco cuffed him on the head. Hermione wished she was in their shoes.

"_Lumos_." Another voice spoke and Hermione picked her head up off the ground to see a tall, red-haired man with horn-rimmed glasses standing there.

"I know you." Hermione spoke suddenly. "You were Head Boy in my third year…"

"Wait a sec." The pale-haired boy on top of a struggling Draco studied her for a moment. "Hermione Granger! But what are you doing here?"

"I'm a servant. They snapped my wand in two." Hermione informed him. "You're Ernie Macmillan, right?"

"Let her up, Zach." Ernie sat calmly on a furious Draco. "She's fine."

"What's going on?" Hermione dusted herself off.

"I'm Percy Weasley." The red-haired man introduced himself and Hermione suddenly flushed. In school, in her year, there had been an awfully tall, red-haired boy named Ron Weasley. She had never spoken to him, except when she once got paired up with him in Charms their first year. They had barely spoken but sometimes, when she saw him surrounded by friends, she wondered what it would be like to know him. It was the closest thing to a crush that Hermione could ever really say she had had. "I'm from the Ministry…sort of. Look, we're looking for a clue."

"How about: Get off me before I have you all thrown in the dungeon?" Draco growled. "Granger! You're supposed to stick up for me!" Hermione slapped her forehead with one hand.

"You better let him up before he wakes up anyone." Hermione told them in an apologetic voice.

"What are we going to do about _him_?" Ernie asked as he let Draco up.

"Let's find the clue and get the hell out of here." Zach muttered.

"What clue?" Hermione asked.

"We're looking for a clue to help us find something." Percy explained. "Our first clue led us here."

"What was the clue?" Hermione inquired and Percy got out a bit of parchment.

"We don't have time for this!" Zach hissed.

"When my father hears about this, you're all going to be very sorry." Draco warned them.

"Your daddy can kiss my—" Zach was cut off.

"I don't think this is right." Hermione informed Percy. "I think this clue has only been half-solved. For instance, this extra 'a' in 'ami'. There's a reason for it, I can just tell."

"No bloody scavenger hunt involves my house." Draco announced. "Come on Hermione, we're going to have them all locked up for putting hands on my personage."

"I am not." Hermione informed him. She turned towards the others. "I'm sure I could solve this if I had more time…can I go with you?"

"There's an idea!" Ernie nodded. "You were the most brilliant student in our year."

"You can't _go_!" Draco looked outraged. "You're _my _servant, you're _my _friend, and I absolutely forbid you to go anywhere without me!"

"Is he throwing a temper tantrum?" Zach looked rather amused.

"I hate this place and I'm leaving! Order someone else to be your friend!" Hermione told him.

"Fine!" Draco snapped. "Then I'm coming too!"

"_What_?" Hermione and the others chorused.

"One, you can't go anywhere with me, therefore if you leave, I'm going with you. Two, I know a secret way out. And three, if you try to leave me here, I'll have to inform my father of all that I was put through." Draco smirked.

"If you did that, I would tell him about us being friends." Hermione finally got to use her trump card. Draco glared at her for a moment.

"Very shrewd. I knew you weren't boring—you were just pretending to be. And leaving here is interesting as well." Draco looked satisfied with this arrangement.

"He's the son of a Death Eater!" Ernie insisted. Draco sighed heavily, as though an enormous task had been placed on his shoulders, and he pulled out his wand. He flicked it and suddenly, sirens were going off, lights were turning on and off. It was obvious what he had done. "We have a magical alarm. If you want to get out, you better follow me." He walked down an aisle and they all ran after him.

He hit a panel next to a painting and a door appeared, opening for them.

"When we get out of here, I'm going to kill him." Zach told Ernie.

"Get in line." Hermione muttered before going through the door. One by one, they disappeared into the dark passageway, the last one closing the door behind them.

---------------------

Hmm, Draco's definitely not in anybody's good books right now. So, was the clue wrong? Is Hermione going to solve it? Is Draco going to survive another chapter? Will Justin be okay? Tune in next time for the answers! Please review.


	7. Chapter 7

I should really type up all my notes. The notes are spread out through like three notebooks and a pink piece of paper that my sister had been using to translate the fairy language scrawled all over the Artemis Fowl books. On the back is an explanation of plot devices for the story, complete with a labeled diagram of stick figures as to how one of the things was supposed to work. There's actually one note that may be algebra: V--J+L/ruckus--AK--H (rebound). Oh, wait, I just figured out what it means. Voldemort, kills James and Lily, which causes a ruckus and then tries to avada kedavra Harry but it rebounds on himself. Oh! Now I remember why she put it there! Good job Teresa! (Isn't this a fascinating insight to how Teresa and me work?)

Tawa: I'm glad you like my Draco. During the last chapter I was like, "I dunno…is he like…_too _mean?" But then I realized that Draco's hasn't really done anything all that nice in the books so yeah, I figured it works.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Write chapter THEN warnings…I'm never going to get this right.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Seven

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"You almost got us killed!" Zach yelled at Draco, who yawned in response. They had gotten reasonably far from the Malfoy estate and Hermione didn't think anyone was following them. There had been a rather terrified silence among them until Zach had his outburst.

"Are we going somewhere where I can lay down?" Draco inquired. Zach lunged for him but Hermione stepped in front of Draco. "Thank you, Her—"

Hermione whirled around and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

"This isn't a game, you horrible little toad!" Hermione yelled at him. "This is life and death for us! If we get caught, what do you think will happen? Not that I think you particularly care, because you don't care about anyone but yourself! Now that we aren't in your house, you're going to shut up for _once_." She exhaled and Hermione Granger felt much better than she had in awhile. "Anything you want to add?" She asked Zach, who gulped and shook his head. "Now what?" Draco just stood there as though what had just occurred couldn't have possibly _happened._

"She always was a sharp prefect." Ernie commented quietly.

"We need to meet back up with Susan." Percy told her. "Susan Bones, that is."

"Alright." Hermione felt extremely calm now. "What is it that you're doing again?"

"We've been sent by Dumbledore." Ernie explained. "We're looking for the weapon that can destroy You-Know-Who." They were all walking again, including Draco who was hanging back from them and had gone quiet. "There's clues but I guess we botched the first one."

"I wish we could Apparate back." Zach grumbled. "Susan's by herself there."

"Yes, I don't think it was the best idea now…" Ernie frowned. "Leaving her by herself…we did kind of swear we would always be around to protect her…"

"We can't Apparate back…I don't have a wand." Hermione once more was apologetic. Draco walked around the group and stopped in front of Hermione, causing her to stop quite suddenly. He reached into his robes and pulled something out, offering it towards her.

It was a wand. It was _Hermione's _wand. It wasn't in two pieces either. Somehow it had been put back together.

"But…that's impossible!" Hermione took hold of it, thinking it couldn't be real. "They broke it in half!"

"I asked for it. My father collects them. I told him that I wanted to teach you a lesson with it." Draco looked up at the sky, clearing not wanting to look at her. "I didn't do it for _you_. _I _just wanted to see if they could be fixed. Nothing else to do with my money these days…But you might as well have it. Horrible little toads don't need two wands…" He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you." Hermione wasn't sure how else to respond as she clutched the wand to her chest. She felt a little bit guilty. "I'm sorry I hit you but—"

"I don't want an apology." Draco looked cross. "And you aren't sorry. No one hits anyone that hard if they don't mean it." And he pulled out his own wand. "Where are we Apparating to?" Hermione stared at him for a moment.

_I'm not going to say we're friends now…_

_And you've been horrible but…_

Her grip on her wand tightened.

_Even though you don't know anything about other people…_

_You helped me be a witch again._

--------------------------

When they met up with Susan Bones, there were explanations and introductions all around. Percy and the others had found an empty house not too far away that was a temporary base of operations.

Everyone still wasn't thrilled about Draco, but he wasn't all that enthusiastic about them either. Zach and him definitely didn't get along. There were snide remarks back and forth that almost culminated into a fist fight, if it hadn't been for Susan fainting.

"Awfully good of Susan to faint." Ernie was helping lay Susan down on a couch. "You didn't want to fight, Malfoy, did you?"

"Good of her? _Good of her_? What if there's something wrong with her? She can't travel like this! I should have left her with Hannah!" Zach yelled at him.

"Is…Susan sick?" Ernie asked, looking bewildered.

"She could be!" Zach seemed a little over-protective so Ernie decided not to say anything else.

"Any ideas yet?" Percy glanced over Hermione's shoulder. She was sitting there with a book in her lap so that she could write on the piece of parchment and she was tapping a quill against her chin in thought.

"Not really." Hermione shrugged. "I feel like there's just a tiny thing I'm not getting and when I figured it out, it's going to make the whole thing make sense."

"Oh, let me see it." Draco grabbed the paper away from her, looking annoyed with everyone. He glanced at it. "Delacour? Oh, sorry, I read that wrong."

"Wait, Delacour?" Hermione's head went to one side and she looked like she was on to something.

"It doesn't say Delacour." Draco reiterated, waving the parchment about. "I said I read it wrong."

"No," Hermione snatched the piece of parchment back. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"A very prominent, if not _the _most prominent wizarding family in France." Draco shook his head. "Doesn't everyone know that?"

"So…if you…" Hermione looked excited as she wrote out something. "Look, look, if you change the 'a' and the 'l' from 'mal' to be 'la' in 'ami de cour' then…" She held it up.

_M foi, my aami Delacour. _

"Then if you take the extra 'a' in 'ami' and change it to over _here_…" Hermione scribbled and held it up again.

_Ma foi, my ami Delacour._

"I don't get it." Ernie scratched the back of his head with his hand.

"In French, 'ma foi' is 'my faith', but used in certain contexts it can mean the same as 'Indeed!'. So…" Hermione's cheeks were tinged pink and anyone could see that she was in her element.

_Indeed, my friend Delacour._

"So, we have to find the Delacours and not the Malfoys?" Zach glanced over at Draco. "That's a relief. Where are they?"

"Didn't you just hear me? The family's French, they live in _France_." Draco pointed out in exasperation. "I can tell Dumbledore sent his finest to find this ultimate weapon! What did you say it was?"

"We think it may be the Boy Who Lived!" Ernie supplied eagerly. Draco raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Right. Well, I suppose in any war there's the 'good' side and then there's the 'winning' side." Draco kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

If you aren't on our side, we should turn you over to the Order." Zach glared accusingly.

"A prisoner of war." Ernie added on.

"I'm not…" Draco pursed his lips. "I'm just here because I'm bored. I'm not allowed to go anywhere…"

"You're legally an adult." Hermione pointed out.

"Do you realize who my father is? I can't just leave!" Draco sat up angrily.

"But…you did." Percy spoke slowly.

"I'm tired." Draco announced suddenly. "Hermione, arrange a room for me."

"There's rooms upstairs, pick one." Hermione had gotten up to see if there was anything she could do for Susan who was now sitting up.

"I will." Draco looked a bit peeved that Hermione wasn't jumping to it but he left the room without saying anything else.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked Susan.

"Fine, I'm just a little tired." Susan started to get up. "What's happening?"

"Hermione solved the clue." Ernie held up the piece of parchment.

"Draco helped." Hermione pointed out, not feeling comfortable taking all the credit for it.

"But what are we going to do about Malfoy?" Zach brought up the subject again. "How do we know he's not going to turn us all in? How do we know he's not a spy?"

"Zacharias brings up a good point." Percy cleared his throat authoritatively. "As the only Ministry representative here, I think we should all keep a very close watch on him. He seems to be close to you, Hermione, so it'll be your job—"

"Look, I left that house, not just because I wanted to get out of there but also to get away from _him_. He and I are not friends; he has a completely warped concept of friendship." Hermione informed them, looking very serious. "I don't understand _why _he chose me in the first place but I don't think I can pretend for the sake of keeping an eye on him!" She put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry, you're right."

"No, I understand." Susan patted her on the back. "I've always kind of felt bad for him, he probably hasn't really had a chance to know anything but what he's been told his whole life. You're only human, Hermione. No one's asking you to pretend to like him. If you want to be angry with him, go ahead and be angry. You have every right. As strange as it may sound, I think Malfoy _does _want to be friends with you, he just has no idea how."

"He had your wand fixed." Percy knew that it didn't make up for everything Hermione had gone through, but it was still something.

"I'm being selfish." Hermione looked up, seeming determined. "I'm so used to being on my own that I didn't think about how you might need me to do this…I'll keep an eye on him—though I can't promise not to kill him." She smiled. "If I only think about me…then I'm kind of being like him."

"Besides, you'll have the rest of us." Susan gave her a friendly look. "I know we didn't really know each other in school, but that's no reason not to be friends now. I'd say 'we're a team' but I'm pretty sure Zach would make a face." Zach made a face and muttered something under his breath.

"We should probably all go to bed." Ernie yawned. "We'll make plans for going to France in the morning…" He glanced outside. "Which is probably in a few hours…"

"Good idea." Hermione stretched as she stood up. Then she looked down at the clothes she was wearing. "I should probably find something else to wear."

"There's lots of clothes that were left behind." Susan supplied helpfully. The house did seem like the last inhabitants left in a hurry.

They all went upstairs and split off into rooms. There were only three and Draco had locked the door to the master bedroom ("Of course he grabbed the biggest bedroom for himself…" Zach rolled his eyes.) so Susan and Hermione went into one room and the three boys took another one.

Everyone said good-night, and Draco yelled for them all to keep it down.

----------------------

"Wow, you're really good at that!" Susan looked impressed as Hermione made an omelet.

"Oh…well, I spent so much time in the library that I'd miss meals sometimes…" Hermione went pink, trying not to look pleased. "So I used to cook on these little fires sometimes…"

"Something smells good…" Ernie yawned as he sat down in his chair. "Is there any tea?" Susan came over with a teapot and poured him a cup. "Thanks Su…"

"Please don't call me 'Su'." Susan looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth. "My name has just as many syllables as yours and no one calls you 'Er'."

"Justin used to call me 'Ern'." Ernie shrugged. Hermione almost dropped the plate she put the omelet on. She opened her mouth to say that she had seen Justin and that Draco had sent him away but she didn't. She had a feeling that it would only breed more animosity and Draco didn't need any help with that.

"Omelets?" Zach sat down next to Ernie. "We had the stuff for omelets?"

"Well…they aren't fancy or anything." Hermione flipped another omelet. "Whatever I could find went in there, so there's some tomatoes and mushrooms and cheese."

"Can you make one without mushrooms for me?" Zach inquired. Hermione took a moment to relish in the idea that there was nothing but nice small talk around the table. She really missed other people…people who were pleasant that was. She finished Zach's omelet just as another person came in.

"I'll have warmed croissants with raspberry jam—the kind with seeds." Draco came into the kitchen giving orders. "Oh, and orange juice. But with no pulp."

"I'll get right on that." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Good." Draco sat down at the table and put his feet up, leaning back in his chair, seemingly unaware that Hermione wasn't going to make him complicated pastries. "Where's the morning paper?"

"Oh, I was just finishing it up." Zach's voice was dripping with sarcasm,. Draco looked at him expectantly. "There is no paper."

"How am I supposed to enjoy my breakfast?" Draco demanded to know. "I'll have indigestion looking at these two." Hermione marched over to him with a plate in her hand.

"First you're going to get your feet_ off the table_." Hermione told him. "Then, you're going to eat this omelet."

"I don't want an omelet." Draco took his feet down and sat forward, arms crossed.

"I do." Percy came into the kitchen, adjusting his glasses.

"Here you go." Hermione handed him the plate and he sat down.

"That was _my_ omelet!" Draco protested immediately.

"You just said you didn't want one!" Hermione threw her hands up in the air.

"I didn't. But that doesn't mean he can have it." Draco still looked outraged. Then he took a deep breath. "I was going to have you take it away and make me what I _did _want. Don't ruin my breakfast routine completely." Behind Draco, Zach pulled out his wand and was miming cursing him and giving Hermione a questioningly look. She gave a small shake of her head and Zach looked extremely disappointed.

"It's either an omelet or you go hungry." Hermione crossed her arms.

"I don't…understand…" Draco looked slightly confused. "You're saying I either have to eat an _omelet_ or I have to starve? You're just going to let me go hungry?"

"No, see, if you don't eat the omelet you're letting yourself go hungry." Hermione explained impatiently. "It's _your _decision." She walked back over to the stove and began preparing Susan's omelet.

"I have to say, a friend shouldn't let another friend go hungry." Draco looked very righteous for a moment. Hermione made small stabbing motions in the air with the spatula she was using that only Susan could see and caused the dark-haired girl to start trying to smother giggles.

"These are really good." Percy commented. "Excellent job on breakfast, Hermione."

"Thank you, Percy." Hermione smiled. After a little bit she flipped Susan's omelet onto a plate. "Last chance, Draco."

"Fine." Draco resigned to it. "But don't expect me to eat it." He began to lean back in his chair, his feet pressing against the legs of the table.

The front door, which was a few feet away from Zach suddenly opened, which surprised Draco and made him go off balance so that his chair fell over. Ernie and Zach jumped to their feet and began applauding.

"Oh!" Hannah Abbott looked surprised. "I didn't expect a standing ovation!" She looked over her shoulder in a worried manner as she closed the door.

"_Another_ Hufflepuff?" Draco yelled in indignation. "It's an infestation!"

"Draco Malfoy?" Hannah's eyes went to the size of saucers. "But you're a Death Eater!"

"Everyone calm down." Percy took charge of the situation, standing up. Everyone sat down—except Hermione who was finishing Draco's omelet. "Now, Hannah, yes, Draco Malfoy is here—and no, he isn't a Death Eater…at least, we don't _think _he is. He sort of came with when we ran into Hermione at the Malfoy estate."

"Hermione Granger?" Hannah turned towards the bushy-haired girl who gave a small wave. "What was—?"

"It's a very long story and I think we'd all like to get down to business." Percy used his best Ministry voice.

"How did you find us?" Ernie had brightened considerably. "Apparated?"

"No!" Hannah said so fast that everyone was slightly taken aback. "Don't Apparate!"

"We did it last night…" Zach admitted.

"We just found out that somehow it's being tracked. Dumbledore doesn't know what to do and everyone's trying to get out the message not to." Hannah adjusted her witch hat. "He arranged a Portkey for me to come here and now if you need to get anywhere, I can make one. But only one. We're trying not to make too many."

"We're trying to get to France—we solved the clue." Percy told her. Hannah's face fell.

"Normally that'd be okay but we're trying to keep it in the country." Hannah sat down next to Ernie who gave her an understanding look.

"Could you get us to a sea port?" Hermione inquired as she handed a plate off to Percy who set it down in front of Draco.

"It's really hard to arrange a ship these days." Hannah thought for a moment. "But I know we've got contacts at a few ports. We could probably get a ship to Dieppe. That sounds safest for now."

"Why can't we just take brooms?" Draco was pushing his omelet around with a fork.

"Yeah, and then we can paint targets on ourselves while we're at it." Zach spoke scathingly.

"If there's a chance you could get hurt Smith, I'm willing to take it." Draco smirked.

"Excuse me," Percy drew himself up importantly. "But we _are_ trying to make plans here. If you two could stop arguing for a few minutes, we can all get down to business."

"Are you going to come with us?" Ernie asked Hannah.

"That would be nice but I don't think so. We need all hands on deck." Hannah told him. "France isn't completely safe and Dumbledore thinks any traveling that you need to do should be done in a Muggle fashion. Trains, cars, that kind of thing."

"It won't be easy getting to France either." Hermione sat down with her breakfast. "I've heard of Death Eaters sinking ships."

"Maybe if there's enough wizards on board we can Disillusion the ship." Susan suggested.

"Nobody's going to attack a ship that _I'm _on." Draco muttered quietly. Then he took a bite of his breakfast. "Ugh." Hermione sighed.

"Can Susan go back with you to the Order?" Zach asked Hannah suddenly.

"Go back with Hannah?" Susan looked affronted. "I'm coming with you guys! We've got to find the weapon together."

"You fainted last night." Zach pointed a finger at her accusingly. "You're probably sick and you can't travel because you'll get worse—"

"I'm not sick!" Susan protested. "I feel fine."

"It's safer if you don't come with us! I'm supposed to protect you—" Zach ignored Ernie's interruption of "I am too!". "And it's better if—"

"Ew." Draco looked disgusted and leaned back in his seat.

"Oh shut up and eat your omelet, it's not that bad!" Hermione snapped at the blonde-haired boy.

"It's not that, even though I've seen better culinary skills in a squirrel." Draco told her before stage whispering. "I was commenting on Smith's…_feelings_ for Bones over there. Can you imagine if they had kids?"

"We can hear you." Zach deadpanned.

"Good." Draco didn't look remotely fazed. "But I won't have any _romance_ on this stupid quest."

"I don't get it." Ernie shook his head and whispered quietly to Hannah. "What's he talking about?" Hannah hit her forehead with her hand but didn't explain.

"Could we _please _stay on one subject?" Percy asked sharply, making the others sit up straight.

"How about a Port Key to…" Hannah tried to think. "To Portsmouth."

"Portsmouth?" Draco's tone hinted at a whine.

"That's it, I'm cursing him." Zach started to pull out his wand.

"There won't be any cursing!" Percy and Hermione said at the same time and then gave each other approving looks. Percy cleared his throat. "Portsmouth is fine."

"I'll get it ready. I hope it works. Dumbledore had me try a couple of times but…well, I'm sure it'll go fine." Hannah saw the apprehensive looks on their faces.

"Oh no, I'm going to end up in Romania, aren't I?" Draco groaned.

"No worries there, Hannah's one of the best witches I know." Ernie looked rather confident. Hannah picked up one of the empty plates.

"Okay, here goes!" Hannah pointed her wand at it. "_Portus_."

-----------------------

So, you might be wondering why this chapter seemed long…all during it there was a frantic search for the World Atlas. And then, when I couldn't find it, I stalled for time until I could find it. Because it wasn't in my notes. I got desperate when I got to Hannah having to name where they were going and began asking everybody if they knew a British port. Then I found the atlas, so all was well. Review!


	8. Chapter 8

I got new glasses. YAH! I know a few of you guys commented on my ability to write large groups and all I can say is, thanks for recognizing it. It's really hard to write a large group…you keep forgetting people. Well, I do anyways. You don't know how many times I was like, "Wait, Percy's there, what's he thinking?" (Of course the more dynamic people, i.e. _Draco_, are easier to remember.) And I'm glad everyone's thoroughly amused by Draco—mostly in the series, I just laugh at him because he can be so petty. (Except you know…certain parts of the sixth book.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter…mostly because if I did there would be a lot more cutting to the Slytherin common room. (Doesn't everyone want to know what goes on in there when Harry and Ron aren't in there disguised as Slytherins?)

Warnings: The usual stuff.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Eight

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It was a grey day in Portsmouth, the sort of bad English weather that the country was famous for. But on the bright side of things, they were all indoors, rather huddled in a small backroom with a fire, so they were reasonably warm.

Hermione was staring at the fire pensively, trying to think what might be waiting for them in France. A weapon to defeat You-Know-Who…was it really the infamous Harry Potter, the boy who hadn't been seen since his defeat of Voldemort? She knew they were almost the same age. They could have been in the same year together. Hermione briefly let her mind wander to the idea of what Hogwarts would have been like with Harry Potter there…somehow, it seemed it would have been a little bit different…

She glanced over to Draco who was sitting in a chair, looking utterly bored but not saying anything. She had no idea what to make of him anymore. He was just confusing. Sure, Hermione could say that he was a foul little cockroach, but at the same time he _had _given her back her wand. And then he helped her solve the first clue.

_Although really all he did was misread something…_

_But still…_

He caught her peeking at him and folded his arms before looking out the window. Hermione rolled her eyes. Never mind him. He was a baby when he didn't get his own way. She wasn't going to spend her time forcing him to grow up; he'd have to do that on his own…although at his age if he wasn't already, it was possible he'd never grow up.

Next to her on the small couch was Percy Weasley. He was staring at the fire too. Of all the people in the group, Percy and Susan seemed to be the leaders. At least Zach and Ernie deferred to Susan, but Susan seemed to defer to Percy—probably because he was older. And in the Ministry. His glasses were reflecting the firelight. The room was a little dark, mostly on account of the lack of windows (there were a few up nearer the ceiling as they seemed to be in a sort of basement), and the fact that outside it was grey and rainy. Susan had told her in private that Arthur and Molly Weasley were both dead and that little else was known. Hermione tried to imagine what it was like to wonder if any of your siblings had survived a terrible attack.

_I wonder if Dumbledore knows…_

Albus Dumbledore, the only wizard that was strong enough to challenge You-Know-Who, the greatest headmaster of Hogwarts there had ever been…the undoubted leader in the war about Voldemort. But she couldn't ask him any questions. For one, she had never really spoken to him before—she had only seen him when she was attending Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall, her favorite teacher, had told her plenty about him. But secondly, they were nowhere near him.

_Maybe when we return we'll see him…or at least Harry Potter will. _

There was really no room for more than two people on the couch but sitting on a foot rest was Susan. Hermione and her had been getting along rather well. Susan saw her looking and gave her a brief little smile before returning her gaze to the fire. Susan hadn't had any fainting spells since the one the night Hermione had escaped from Malfoy Manor, but Zach hovered around her like she might fall over dead at any moment. Briefly, Hermione remembered what Draco had said about no romance on their quest and smile in spite of herself.

Zach himself was taking turns in between glancing at Susan and then shooting dirty looks at Malfoy. She didn't think Zach personally didn't like her, Smith seemed to hate everyone. Hermione then looked at the last person in the room, Ernie.

He was lying on the floor, munching on some of the food that Hannah had left them with while she went to make arrangements for their ship. Hermione wished she would have asked to go as well. Waiting in this room was near unbearable. Ernie had asked to go with Hannah but she told him it was much safer if just she went.

Hermione sighed heavily.

"I can't take it anymore!" Draco thumped his fist against one of the walls, causing several of them to jump at the sudden noise. "When is that idiot getting back!"

"I say, that was uncalled for. Hannah's actually really smart. She got as good as I did on most of my O.W.L.'s." Ernie got defensive at the mention of his friend.

"You didn't get the highest scores in school." Draco replied pointedly.

"Neither did you." Hermione shot at him. "We aren't in school anymore, so everyone just calm down."

"That's exactly what I was going to say." Percy nodded in agreement. "I'm rather sick of all this bickering."

"Nancy boy." Draco muttered.

"_What was that_?" Percy's voice bordered on dangerous and had the full tone of authority. Draco scuffed his shoes on the ground as petulantly as possible.

"I'm sure no one really means it." Susan perked up. "It's just that it's a little boring…you know…sitting here."

"We're not starting a fight to have something to do." Hermione was looking up at the ceiling. "Hannah will be back any moment."

As if in answer, there were some footsteps above their heads and then the door opened. Hannah appeared at the top of the steps and came down the stairs, flushed from running. She pushed back her hood and went in front of the fire to get warmed up a bit.

"Good news." Hannah told them. "I got a ship for you all. It leaves at midnight."

"Midnight? Isn't that a little conspicuous?" Percy didn't adjust his glasses even though they had slipped down his nose.

"Not really. According to the captain, lots of ships leave at midnight. There's lots of rivalry between the Death Eaters." Hannah began to explain. "Which is one of the best weapons we have against them. Anyways, they all have illegal trading vessels going to and fro. They do try to keep a tight eye on any other activity but lucky for us, we've got an insider who captains a trading vessel for Nott."

"Ah, Nott." Draco nodded, his eyes lighting up with recognition. "I haven't seen Theodore for awhile…"

"This wouldn't be the time to run into him. You're a runaway, remember?" Hermione reminded him.

"Yes, but that'll all blow over." Draco stretched leisurely. "It's all of you who will be in serious trouble."

"You—" Zach began but Ernie cut in.

"Who's the insider?" Ernie asked.

"Mundungus Fletcher." Hannah waved a hand in the air. "He's also smuggling in goods for the Order—but I don't know too much about that…that's all organized by Fred and George."

"Fred and George?" Percy immediately leaned forward.

"Oh!" Hannah's palm smacked the side of her face. "Oh! I completely forgot to tell you, didn't I? I'm so awful!" She began patting her sides, looking for her pockets. "They'd be so mad if they knew that I forgot to give you their note."

"Fred and George Weasley are alive?" Susan Bones looked interested too. Hermione glanced over at her bright eyes and thought she looked like _she _had just been told that some of her previously dead family members were actually alive. She supposed that Susan would be the one who could really sympathize with Percy. Hermione wasn't sure her own parents were alive, but desperately hoped they were.

"Yes." Hannah triumphantly pulled an envelope out of a pocket. "They asked me to give this to you, Percy." She handed it to the red-haired boy who took it in a solemn manner. "They were really happy to hear that you were alive…"

"They were?" Percy actually looked surprised. He supposed it wasn't fair to assume that his brothers wouldn't naturally be happy to hear that their sibling was alive but at the same time…no one had been closer than Fred and George had been to each other. He couldn't imagine they had worried that much after the rest of them.

"Of course they were." Hannah studied him for a moment, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "The Order is trying to keep the whole matter very quiet…they weren't sure where you were, you were only presumed to be alive from accounts they received. If the Weasley parents were killed, Dumbledore fears that Voldemort go after any of the surviving family…" She hesitantly glanced over at Susan whose face was suddenly very hard to read.

Hermione felt a tug at her sleeve and she turned around to see Draco standing there, behind her, looking a little out of place—probably feeling incredibly out of place. She hoped he wouldn't say something awful—like he always did…

"I'm confused." Draco tugged at her sleeve to lead her a few feet away from the group who were discussing some news that Hannah had learned from the Order about Voldemort. "What's going on?"

"Tonight we'll be getting on a ship, to go to France." Hermione was a little confused herself. Draco seemed to get it when Hannah was explaining it…maybe he just drifted in and out of conversation when the topic _wasn't _him.

"No." Draco rolled his eyes. "About all that…about Weasley…didn't his brothers _know_ he was alive? That's the trouble with big families…there's so many of them they can't keep track of each other." He looked disdainful but Hermione thought for a strange moment that he was covering up something of his own feelings. Maybe at one point Draco had wanted a brother or sister, like any only sibling. She couldn't imagine Draco sharing the spotlight with anyone, even a brother but at the same time…

_Of course he's asking…he hasn't bothered to learn anything about any of us. _

_Being him…I bet he really doesn't know how to learn things about people. _

It was hard to think of him as awkward, but maybe that was it. While he seemed to have no trouble saying things, and no reservations (or a conscience, Hermione added in her head) about what to say, maybe it was because he didn't have any social practice at spending time with people that he didn't just order around.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" Draco suddenly looked suspicious. "You look like you're trying to figure something out…don't read into it." She raised her eyebrows. "I don't really care if Weasley's whole family starred in a Broadway version of _King Lear_, I just don't know what they were talking about."

"Okay," Hermione considered this for a brief moment. "They're talking about an attack that happened…the Weasley's home was destroyed and his parents were both killed. When he arrived, none of his siblings were anywhere to be found and ever since then, he hasn't known whether or not they're alive or dead. But now he knows that at least two of them are alive."

"If I was reading that in a book, I would consider it a lame plot device." Draco seemed unimpressed. "Well…" He looked around and then seemed to drift off into his own thoughts. Then he noticed her again. "Go on, find something to do on your own." Hermione re-joined the group.

"Hannah," Percy began as soon as Hermione tuned into what they were saying. "If you're around the Order, you probably hear about other people who…who're alive."

"Sometimes." Hannah shrugged. "I don't always, I'm not very high up in the Order, you know. But I do hear things."

"Then maybe you know if…" Percy began bravely but then trailed off. Then he coughed and adjusted his glasses. "Never mind."

"What?" Ernie interrupted. "Did you want to know about more Weasleys?"

"I know Bill's alive." Hannah supplied eagerly. "I just don't know where he is. But that's all I know, I'm afraid."

"No, just an old school mate…" Percy trailed off, looking a little embarrassed. "Like I said, never mind. It's a silly thing to task." He tried to change the subject. "I thought Bill might be alive…I'm glad to hear it confirmed though."

"Oh." Ernie nodded knowingly. "I know who you want to ask about."

"You do?" Susan cocked her head to one side.

"No, you don't." Zach leaned against the back of an armchair coolly.

"I do too!" Ernie stuck his chin out. "We all went to school together at some point!"

"Um…" Percy tried to interrupt. He didn't think there was any way on the face of the planet that Ernie knew who he had almost inquired about. Nobody knew anything about it. He had never told a soul and he had always been a private person. His own mother used to lament about her inability to read him.

"Penelope Clearwater." Ernie hadn't taken any notice of Percy. Then he turned towards him. "Right? You two were going together at one point…"

"Penelope…Clearwater?" Percy blinked a few times. "No. That's…no." He knew Ernie had no idea. "That was a long time ago and…"

_And it was because she wasn't a risk…I didn't have to be brave enough to be with Penelope…_

_Because…I didn't deserve the one I really wanted to be near. _

"I knew you didn't know." Zach gave Ernie a superior look.

"Oh, Ernie, it was a good guess." Hannah placed a hand on the slightly downcast looking boy's shoulder. "I thought you would get it right for sure…you used to be our little busybody."

"I did, didn't I?" Hermione had no idea why anyone would look proud after being called a 'busybody', but Ernie seemed to be swept up with things more often than not. "I guess things are different now—what with not being with all the hubbub. Sometimes I wish I could have been recruited to do things for the Order like you do, Hannah."

"I wish that too." Zach didn't seem to be in the best of moods. Hermione made a mental note to try and keep him and Draco on opposite sides of the room. Though, she glanced over at the blonde-haired boy who was still somewhere off in the distance even though he was in the same room as them, he didn't seem like he was in a fighting spirit right then.

_I don't see why _I_ have to notice everything…_

_I've always naturally taken on responsibility…even when it isn't really my place to. _

There was not much else to do but wait for nightfall.

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"Alright," Hannah paused, surveying them for a moment. Their breathing was coming out in foggy bursts and they all stood there, shivering in the cold, waiting to be led on. "If anything should happen and I'm not saying anything is going to but…I've got strict orders. You've got to get on that ship. If something happens, I have to stay behind to deal with it—_not you_."

"But—" Susan began but Hannah shook her head.

"No, you have to get on that ship." Hannah repeated. "All of you."

"All of us?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "What if we get attacked and I tell the Death Eaters I was kidnapped so that they won't kill me?"

"You filthy traitor!" Zach turned on him and might have gotten a hit in if Ernie hadn't grabbed his arms.

"How could you even suggest that?" Hermione frowned at Draco.

"Granger, I would tell them you had been kidnapped too." Draco spoke in a comforting tone. "What's the saying? 'A friend in need…'"

"I'm pretty sure that's not what they mean…" Hermione felt a headache coming on. It was freezing and all she wanted to do was find somewhere with a fire and about twenty blankets to burrow under.

"Maybe we shouldn't take him to France." Zach suggested.

"You have to." Draco looked very smug all of a sudden. "One, if I don't go, then Granger won't go—she's _my _friend after all," Hermione hit her hand to her forehead. "And I know where the Delacours live and you, my uneducated minions, do not."

"I'm sure I could figure it out." Percy had a no-nonsense tone about him. "You're going. I want to keep an eye on you…"

"What if we just knocked him unconscious?" Zach had a pleading look on his face. "We don't even have to use magic—I'll smash one of those flowerpots over his head."

"Yes, but then Granger would insist on nursing me back to health and that would slow you down considerably." Draco examined his fingernails in a bored manner.

Hermione gave him a leaden stare.

_A few hours ago I was entertaining the idea that he was halfway human…_

_How quickly things change…_

"Let's get moving." Hannah directed everyone's attention to the matter at hand. They followed her down the gravel street, a back way to their waiting ship. They were dressed in dark colors and were doing their best not to attract any attention.

And yet, Hermione had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something about this night was too cold, too black…she heard Hannah quietly reminding them of where they needed to go…as if she too could sense that something awful would happen.

Hermione had never put much stock in things like this. Surely it was just her nerves. Escaping from Britain. Going to France, searching for Harry Potter…all of it…it was just getting to her. Percy Weasley didn't look ruffled in the least and she tried to adopt a similar expression so that no one would suspect that dread was building inside her.

Their feet crunched on the gravel beneath them. It suddenly seemed liked too much noise and then all at once it happened. A bolt of red light went right by her ear and she felt herself ducking down. Hannah turned around and cast a spell, running to face the attacker.

A mask and black robes faced her. A Death Eater. Hannah Abbott suddenly seemed too young to be in the Order, too young to be in this predicament in the first place. How was she going to protect them and live through it?

"Go on!" Hannah yelled over her shoulder. "You've got to go!"

"Hannah—!" Susan wasn't ready to just leave her friend but Zach seemed to see this coming and at once, ducked down and picked her up, heaving her over his shoulder. He ran after Percy, who was leading them away.

Hermione just stood there, rooted to the spot. It seemed wrong to just leave. Susan hadn't been able to do it and had to be forced away. Why couldn't she stay and help? She had her wand, she was a witch. She could at least get the Death Eater to be stuck for a few moments so that Hannah could get away, couldn't she?

"Come on!" Draco yanked on her arm. She had forgotten about him.

"We should help her!" Hermione protested, trying to yank her arm out of his grip.

"You heard her!" Draco began trying to run, tugging her along. "She said that she had to do this! _You _have to get on the ship! You'll be an absolute nuisance in battle—she wants to do this alone."

"But…" Hermione looked over her shoulder and tried to turn bodily but it was slowing Draco down.

"If I have to _hex_ you and carry your body to that ship, I will!" Draco shook her arm a little. It was somewhat like one of his temper tantrums except that he had a somewhat fierce look on his face. She knew he was right. Hannah had told them before they'd left that she'd have to do this, but in her heart, she hadn't actually thought that it would happen.

As she ran she wondered if Hannah was alright, if she had gotten away by means of a clever spell, or was she facing death, her eyes widened as they usually were when anyone asked anything of her. Even now, Hermione wanted to yank her arm away—curse him if need be—and help Hannah. They hadn't been close—they barely knew each other but Hermione knew that the girl with the straw-colored hair possessed qualities that no books or any amount of intelligence could provide a person. Bravery…amiability…loyalty…

_As loyal as a badger…_

They were running through a whole network of buildings, warehouses that smelt musty and salty—too much exposure to ocean air. Susan was running on her own now, closely followed by Zack, who had his wand out.

Too bad Draco hadn't let her go; he was convinced she'd run off the second he let go. She didn't think he meant it in the same way that Smith did for Susan. It was more like he was dragging someone on a leash by the look on his face.

She couldn't say she understood Draco at _all_. Well, Hermione understood him fairly well when he was in one of his "Mine, mine, mine! The whole world revolves around me!" moods. Since this was most of the time, she could usually deal (and by 'deal' she meant ignore) with him but all this other behavior didn't quite match up. Her wand, the interest in what they were talking about, and then forcibly dragging her away from Hannah's confrontation with a Death Eater…in an odd way it was like Draco _was_ trying to be friends with her but had only had friendship explained to him once and he couldn't quite remember what was said.

_It sounds contrite, a boy, born to privilege, taught the power of friendship by a servant girl…_

_Well, that's not going to happen. He'll have to learn how to make friends on his own, just like everyone else. I'm not a servant girl, that was only in his house…but out here, we're all equals._

"This is it!" Percy called back to them. A ship was in front of them, lights looming in the darkness.

_The Bonny Truffle_

It was an odd name for a ship and seemed inappropriate somehow but they made their way up the gang plank.

"Look alive men!" A rough, rather weathered voice called out in the darkness. The six of them huddled somewhat together on the deck. Draco let go of Hermione's arm and she rubbed it irritably. She could feel bruises forming, not to mention that it felt like it had been yanked out of its socket. "We got stow 'ways on board!"

"We aren't stowaways." Percy drew himself up, to show that he was a figure of authority. "Our passage to Dieppe has been arranged by Miss Abbott."

"'Course." The man stepped into the light. He was rather short and unimpressive. He needed a shave—and probably a shower, Hermione decided, wrinkling her nose. His eyes were bloodshot and the way he walked suggested he had been drinking. The men working on deck turned to shake their heads at him. "Don't think I can tell our side from me own hand, do they?"

"Um…" Susan tugged at the end of her braid.

"Come on, time to get ye settled." He gestured towards them and they followed him cautiously. "I'm Mundungus Fletcher. Abbot'll have told you all 'bout that. This is me ship."

"He looks like a booze hound." Draco complained quietly to Hermione. She agreed but hushed him all the same.

"You'll stay below deck." Mundungus led them through a door and down some steps. They were led to where the ship kept its cargo. Then they turned and found that Mundungus was opening a trap door that had been covered by sacks. "You'll be down 'ere, nice n' cozy." Mundungus gestured for them to go down. With the six of them it was a bit cramped. There wasn't a lot of room, you couldn't stand all the way up. There were plenty of blankets in one corner. Mundungus didn't bother crawling down as well. He stood there with the trapdoor opened. "No magic—no coming out—there's a toilet behind that door." He gestured towards somewhere behind Ernie and Percy. There was a small door there and Hermione felt like this wasn't going to be a pleasant journey. "Cabin boy'll bring your food. 'e can tell you where we're goin'." Mundungus staggered away and didn't close the trap door.

"Hullo." A cheery faced boy greeted them and made Hermione gasp.

It was Justin Finch-Fletchley.

-----------------------

That's kind of a weak cliffhanger, I know. (Don't worry, I have way better ones in store.) Slightly longer chapter this time…I'm sure some of you have questions about this latest round of developments—hopefully that means you'll continue reading until your questions are answered. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Welcome back! I'm sitting at my new computer desk, which has convenient spaces for all my references books. It's totally sweet. Now if I need something, I just grab it from where I'm sitting. No more getting up, no more diving across a room…it's all right here at my finger tips. We'll just see if that helps…it probably won't though.

Note: Wait, what happened to some of my regular readers? If you guys are out there, I was sad to not see reviews from you! Also, I got a couple of questions I thought I'd address. Although I'm trying to do a bit of Rowling thing with this story and make it hard to figure out, I might have made readers paranoid. The name of Mundungus' ship came from turning to my roommates, asking them what I should name the ship, and that was the first thing one of them said. And Percy...why isn't he more emotional? He doesn't come off as terribly emotional in the books, so I'm just trying to find a good equilibrium to his situation in this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Weirdness…

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Nine

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Justin was just as surprised to see Hermione as she was to see him.

"Hermione!" He grinned at her. "Never thought I'd see you again! You escaped from that awful place all on your own after all! Boy, I bet Malfoy Junior threw a fit over that one…"

"Ahem." Draco coughed obviously. "Granger, inform this miscreant that he's wrong."

Justin's eyes widened considerably as he surveyed the blonde-haired boy. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"I've been asking that for a long time." Zach, who had been sitting Indian style, rolled onto his back and had his knees folded so that his legs weren't stretched out.

"_I'm _here as Granger's _only _friend." Draco announced.

"We're also her friends." Susan interjected.

"Yes, but I'm her only _real _friend." Draco took little notice of the dark-haired girl, who shot a look at Hermione that clearly said, 'I tried.'

"Draco, I can have more than one friend." Hermione told him off in a humorless voice.

_Dammit, I _am _teaching him friendship. _

_I didn't ask for this…_

"Justin, what are you doing here?" Ernie was leaning forward eagerly.

"Well, one day, I suddenly got transferred out of Malfoy Manor—I kept asking why but no one would tell me," Hermione glared at Draco, who was sitting there with a bored and somewhat defensive expression. "They sent me to Nott's mansion to work but they didn't really need me there so I was sent to work on this ship. Then I found out that all of us are Order men and you can imagine how that felt." Then he paused. "I was worried about Hermione though. I'm glad to see she's okay and all of you but…how did all this come about?"

They all told the story, sometimes Susan sometimes Ernie (mostly when he interrupted her and took over the story) and then Hermione for a bit.

"Wow." Justin seemed taken aback by their tale. "All that, huh? But wait, what about Hannah? Did she get away from that Death Eater?"

Ernie suddenly turned an ashen color. "I don't know." He answered truthfully. "But I really hope so. She's a great witch."

They sat in a solemn silence for a few minutes because no one was sure what to say. Then Ernie finally spoke up, charging the subject, which Hermione thought he was brave for doing—they could have gone quiet forever, each one silently thinking that they should have stayed behind and helped the young witch.

"How long will it take us to get to Dieppe?" Ernie questioned weakly.

"A couple of days." Justin answered. "We aren't sailing straight there—we've got to make a few stops and things for appearance's sake and all that. It won't be so bad," Justin started to go out the trap door, grabbed something and came back down when he saw their dismayed faces. "We've got a pack of cards here, paper, some ink and quills. And a couple of books." He spread out the stuff for them to see. "The books…there wasn't a lot to choose from so…well, we could only get our hands on a few."

There was a battered copy of _The Tempest_, a slightly used copy of _The Screwtape Letters_, and a copy of Charles Dickens' _Our Mutual Friend_ that looked like it had never been opened.

"This looks lovely, Justin." Susan favored the fair-haired boy with a smile—which caused Zach to glare at him.

"I'll bring food later." Justin promised. "Though it's rather late, you should probably get some sleep."

"How am I supposed to sleep in this foul place?" Draco glowered.

"You better find a way." Hermione began to pass out the blankets that were piled in a corner. "Because everyone else is going to."

"I hope no one kicks in their sleep." Percy joked.

With all of them lying down it was far more cramped. Justin said good night and left, closing the trap door behind him. They heard what sounded like things being dragged back over the trap door behind him. Someone blew out the lantern and they tried to get comfortable.

It took a long time, but eventually everyone (including Draco) fell into an uneasy sleep.

------------------

The next couple of days passed too slowly to bear. Hermione read _The Tempest_ and then re-read it with the others to pass the time. There were only six of them so everyone was reading at least two parts. (Draco was mad about being assigned both Antonio _and _Caliban.)

They played millions of games of cards. The cards were regular Muggle playing cards so they could only play plain Snap and other non-magical card games.

Justin visited with food. The food was okay, but Draco would barely touch it—he was in a foul mood the entire trip. Hermione noticed he looked a little green and figured he had to be suffering from sea sickness.

They also talked during their games. (And during their group reading of _The Tempest_, when Percy read the line, "Now my charms are all o'erthrown/And what strength I have mine's own,"—Ernie went into a huge speech about how that related to real life.)

At one point, Draco was in the bathroom (throwing up, guessed Hermione), Susan was napping (she also seemed to be suffering from sea sickness) , Zach was sitting next to her sleeping form, and Percy was struggling through _Our Mutual Friend_. Hermione and Ernie were quietly playing War.

"Do you really think Harry Potter's the secret weapon?" Hermione wasn't sure why she brought it up; it had just come tumbling out.

"Yes." Ernie nodded his head, his eyes not leaving the game. "What else could it be? No one else has ever defeated Voldemort before…I imagine he'll make short work of him when we bring back with us."

"But why hasn't he appeared by himself?" Hermione questioned.

"Well, I'm not sure." Ernie blew air out of the corner of his mouth to get his bangs out of his eyes. "It's probably Dumbledore's plan. Maybe they thought they could defeat Voldemort without him but it turns out they can't. I heard he was learning incredibly advanced magic from Dumbledore himself. Maybe it's stuff that you have to be careful about using—you don't want to kill the goose who lays the golden eggs, so to speak."

"Are you doing alright, though?" Hermione hesitated, she wasn't sure it was her place to be asking this—after all, she didn't know Ernie _that_ well. "I mean, about Hannah?"

"Honestly?" Ernie took a moment to consider this. "I keep trying to tell myself she isn't dead…that I don't know for sure…but at the same time, there's this little voice that says, 'You _don't _know'. I can't imagine her dead—but maybe my imagination's just not very good. _I _think I'm sensible but I can't think sensibly and assume that Hannah defeated a Death Eater by herself."

"You'd really miss her, right?" Hermione cocked her head to one side. "You two seem…very close." She finished lamely. Ernie glanced up at her and laughed.

"You should see your face!" He hit knee with his hand. Then his face grew more serious. "I would miss her. Hannah's my best friend; we've been as thick as thieves since we first met at the Hufflepuff table in our first year. We aren't…romantically involved if that's what you're getting at. But I think of her as something like a sister…"

"Sorry if I'm being nosy." Hermione apologized.

"Not at all. Always thought you were a little odd when we were in school together. Thought there had to be a reason why you had no friends, but you seem nice enough to me." Ernie shrugged. "You don't strike me as the type who doesn't ask questions."

At that point the conversation ended because Percy tossed _Our Mutual Friend_, aside, announced that it was the most tedious book ever written, (which was really saying something coming from one of the few people who were actually interested in the book _Prefects Who Gained Power_) and joined their card game.

It seemed like this quest to find a weapon to destroy Voldemort had brought together a group of people who otherwise might have all gone their separate ways. Hermione wondered if given a choice, she would have traveled the country, seeking refuge by herself the way Percy had done. It was possible. What would she have done, knowing no one?

_I think I've gained something on this trip…_

_Something I didn't realize was there all along._

_Hope._

---------------------

The ship finally landed in Dieppe. They said good-bye to Justin, who wanted to with them but had to stay on the ship, lest he raised suspicion.

Everyone was so glad not to be in that horrible little space anymore that they couldn't express it in words. Even Draco was in a good mood when they left the ship.

As they were leaving, Mundungus slipped them some things. A packet full of money and a bank number in case they needed more, fake passports, ("We have someone the ship that makes them." Justin had informed them.) and a map of France.

"First thing's first." Percy and them sat on a bench along the harbor. There were other people—travelers and natives bustling about. "We need to buy train tickets. When?" He turned towards Draco. The blonde haired looked startled for a moment but quickly regained his composure.

"Paris." He answered quickly.

"Train tickets to Paris." Percy finished. "Who wants to go do that?"

"I will." Hermione volunteered.

"I'm going too." Draco immediately spoke up.

"Alright." Percy nodded. "The rest of us will wait here for you." He handed them a large amount of money. "This should be enough."

Hermione and Draco went off to find where to buy train tickets, while the other four stayed behind. Susan, Ernie, and Zach decided to go across the way and get food for all of them to snack on.

Percy sat on the bench, his head turned to watch the ships, and the people who were going about their business around them.

He hadn't really had time by himself for awhile. And now he thought about his brothers. Alive. It was amazing to think that somewhere, he would have place. He would fit in somewhere. But at the same time, he had never fit in with his brothers before...why would things change now? Percy wanted to think realistically but he couldn't keep his mind off the more sentimental things that had been happening to him lately.

Which naturally turned his mind once more to something that he tried not to think about, but being around people again had brought it all back to him.

_I should have asked Hannah…_

_But why should I know? Even if you're alive…_

_You've probably forgotten all about me…_

"What's the saying? About red sunsets?" A calm, almost dreamy voice asked him. He turned his head and jumped a little.

Somehow, without warning, a girl had sat down next to him. She had pale blonde hair and large eyes that were as far away as the horizon. She was looking right at him and past him all at once.

"What?" Percy blinked.

"It's not sunsets." The girl decided. "Something like, 'Red in the morning, sailor take warning,'?"

"I'm not sure." Percy's brow crinkled. There was definitely something odd about this girl. For one, she was wearing a bunch of beaded necklaces, like a hippie. She noticed him looking at her necklaces.

"They're called love-beads." She told him with a friendly smile. "They used to be my mother's." Then she looked out to sea. "Are you looking for mermaids? There's lots of sightings this time of year."

"Mermaids?" Percy wasn't sure who this girl was or why she was talking to him.

"Don't you believe in mermaids?" She leaned forward with interest, somewhat invading his personal space.

"Well…" Percy hesitated. Merpeople _were_ real, but this girl probably didn't know that.

"Right or wrong, that's what you're trying to decide." She stood up, looking at down at him for a moment while she considered him. "Too much time deciding…you won't have any time left to do anything else…" His eyes widened behind his glasses. He didn't know why but these words struck him.

"Who…?" He trailed off.

"Who am I?" She clasped her hands behind her back as Alice might have done for the caterpillar while trying to recite her poem. If anyone belonged to Wonderland, it was this girl. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

And then she turned and seemed to wander away. Percy watched her go, not understanding who she was.

_That was…strange…_

Later, the six met back up at that bench and went to catch their train. They were on their way to Paris and the Delacours.

-----------------

So…explanations…

Antonio and Caliban are not very nice characters in _The Tempest_. (Caliban being a deformed slave—one can only guess why Draco didn't like getting given this part…)

This chapter was a little weird. I've fallen in love with Hanazawa Rui's them from Hana Yori Dango and was listening to it non-stop during the chapter, so the mood was kind of out there. And there's something about Rui that makes me think of Luna Lovegood.

Thank god we're finally in France! I just look at this story and am like, "Omigod, we're in for a long haul." Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Heh. There's a funny little note in the margins of my notebook about one of my novels. That's why it's so hard for me to throw away notebooks…I never know when there's like some tiny little thing on one of the pages in the margins about something that I'll desperately need later. (I've accidentally thrown things away…for instance, I wrote a great little summary of one of my novels and now I can't find it…) Onto the story!

Note: Er…I think I gave the wrong impression during Percy's scene and some of you seemed to think that he had feelings for Hannah…Maybe I was being confusing but no, he doesn't have feelings for Hannah.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Some mild swearing…

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Nine

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The train ride wasn't too long and soon they were all stumbling out onto the platform. They had arrived in Paris.

In the hustle and bustle, the air was alive with excitement and people going about their business. You wouldn't be able to tell that across the Channel, a country was in a state of terror. They grabbed a cab and were squashed into it.

"Nobody's sitting on my lap." Draco spoke in the same way an old lady would have if someone suggested such a breach of decorum.

"No one wants to sit in your bony lap." Hermione wedged herself in between Draco and Zach, which seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. It might have been alright since Zach was somewhat pinned down by Susan sitting in his lap, but no one wanted to take any chances. Ernie winced as he shut the door behind him and it slammed into his side.

"Yeah, not even your girlfriend wants to sit in your lap." Zach quipped before Susan elbowed him.

"That's the vilest thing I've ever had the misfortune of hearing." Draco made a face.

"Yeah, what did I do to you, Zach?" Hermione grimaced.

"Where to?" The cab driver asked. Everyone turned and looked at Draco.

"What?" He looked a little perplexed.

"Where do we go? Where do the Delacours live?" Percy questioned him. Draco rolled his eyes, and drew himself up.

"Driver, to the Delacours!" Draco commanded, nearly hitting Hermione as he waved his hand in what he clearly thought was a regal gesture.

"Eh?" The cab driver looked confused as he glanced at Draco in his rear view mirror.

"He's less cultured than all of you put together—it's impossible for someone like me to communicate with him." Draco looked peeved as he muttered to the others in the backseat.

"Can I 'ave ze address?" The cab driver tried again.

"What's the address?" Hermione dug her elbow into Draco's ribs.

"I won't talk under torture." Draco said to her and Hermione blinked—Draco had just made a joke at no one's expense. "I don't know the address—what am I, a _driver_?"

"You said you did!" Hermione hissed.

"If you kill him, can I help?" Zach asked hopefully.

"Well, I don't know _exactly _where they live." Draco didn't seem to see the problem. "They live in Paris though."

"Great! That's bloody fantastic." Zach swore.

"Please just drive." Percy requested of the driver. "We have plenty of money." He showed him and the driver nodded before he pulled away from the curb and into traffic.

"Besides," Draco drew himself up with all the dignity he could muster next to a highly annoyed Hermione. "We can't go to the Delacours like this. We haven't showered since we got on that awful boat."

"We should go straight to the Delacours." Percy was looking out the window, his lips pursed. "We shouldn't waste time."

"I don't believe bathing _is _a waste of time." Draco shot back and then proceeded to glower at his window.

They drove for several minutes in silence the driver went past tourist-filled areas like the Champs de Elysees.

"Maybe we should go around the edges." Ernie suggested. "I'll bet they don't live right _in _Paris. Probably on the outskirts."

"That's a good idea." Percy agreed and with Hermione's help (because the driver's English was okay, but not perfect), explained to the driver what they wanted to do.

"My legs are going numb." Zach complained after a bit.

"Susan, why don't you sit in my lap for a bit?" Ernie was doing his best to keep the atmosphere cheerful.

"She's fine." Zach's short reply put an end to conversation for several minutes.

Hermione had been to Paris before and had forgotten how much she had loved it there. She watched Paris go by and wondered how they'd ever find the Delacour house.

_It's probably magically protected…_

"Wait!" Percy and Ernie exclaimed in unison. The driver pulled up to the sidewalk.

But it wasn't a sidewalk. It was a pair of gates. The sign post, which looked like it was all made of silver said 'Delacour House'. The driver didn't appear to notice—nor did people passing by.

Percy paid the driver and they all tumbled out of the car, Zach stumbling because his legs had gone to sleep. Draco brushed himself off and tried to put himself in order. Hermione didn't bother—her hair was such a mess by now that it couldn't possibly make a difference.

Ernie went forward and opened the gate, and they began walking down a lane that was surrounded by beautifully manicured lawns, fountains, and hedges.

Draco walked at the head of them, clearly feeling very at home in these rich surroundings. Susan was looking all around as if she didn't know where to start. Percy seemed apprehensive, almost doubtful.

They rounded a corner and a sprawling mansion was ahead of them. There were people in the yard, girls and boys, fairly young, who pointed to their ragtag group and began whispering in French.

Up the steps and inches from large, double doors which were all white and silver. Hermione didn't have it in her to knock. Someone did. It was probably Ernie.

"How do we know we go the clue right?" Susan whispered, looking pale.

"It would be really awkward if we didn't…" Ernie tried to joke. But no one came to the door.

"You 'ave to ring ze bell." A voice told them and they all turned around to see a young woman standing there. Next to her, Hermione felt even worse.

Her long, shiny silver-blonde hair hung down to her waist. Not a hair out of place, her outfit perfect down to the last little detail. There was little doubt that she had grown up in a fashion capitol.

She strode up the first few steps and yanked on a hanging rope that they had only just noticed.

The door opened almost immediately and the young woman stepped inside, around a butler who was looking down his nose at them.

"And you are?" The butler raised an eyebrow.

"Who am _I_?" Draco looked personally insulted by such a greeting. Hermione wasn't sure who she wanted to win this battle of snobbery. "I think it's perfectly obvious who I am! Now let us in so we can speak to people of importance or I will use some of my valuable time to learn your name and see that you are dismissed!"

The butler didn't say anything and Percy thought he'd call security and have them all thrown out or something, but all he did was step back and let them in.

"I can't believe that worked." Zach looked sullen—he'd obviously been hoping that Draco would fail.

"That's because you're poor." Draco smoothed his hair while smirked. "The rich are _never _denied."

"Where do we go?" Percy asked. The huge foyer had two grand staircases and about a million hallways and doors leading off of it.

"Percy?" A shocked voice asked and the group turned as a whole towards a tall, gangly, red-haired boy who was openly gaping.

"Ron?" Percy stared at the young man. It was Ron. A slightly older Ron, but Ron nevertheless. Hermione found herself carefully stepping behind Zach and Susan.

"I remember you!" Ernie wasted no time offering his hand—somewhat breaking up the nice family moment. "Ron Weasley—!"

"Ernie!" Ron grinned. "Oh, and Susan Bones, and…" He grimaced slightly. "_Smith_, and…" He trailed off as he spotted Draco. Hermione had the sudden urge to tie her shoe so at the moment no one could see her. "Draco Malfoy." Ron finished and then looked at them for explanation.

"It's a long story." Percy couldn't think of what else to say and decided it could wait until later. "Oh, you forgot someone—Hermione Granger." Hermione, feeling embarrassed, stood up, and made her way towards him, putting a hand out.

"You were in Gryffindor." Ron's friendly look made Hermione smile nervously. "I remember you…well, I remember really wanting to borrow your notes for O.W.L.'s."

"What are you doing here?" Percy questioned and Hermione backed away.

_Don't be so stupid! Try to act sensible, Hermione!_

"I could ask the same thing." Ron commented, glancing from face to face. "Got stationed here when they were separating us. I would have sent word but we're not really supposed to send any post—otherwise I'd be swapping letters with Charlie."

"Charlie's alive?" Percy repeated as a question even though it was more of a reaffirmation.

"He's in Romania." Ron nodded. "With some Order members. But anyways…well, no one knew if you were…" He trailed off hesitantly. "How did you know I was here, anyways?"

"We didn't." Ernie looked puzzled.

"Oh." Ron looked a little taken aback. "Fleur said there was someone here for me…"

"Sorry, Ron." The young woman suddenly stepped out into the room—she had been hiding behind an ornate pillar. "I could not resist."

"Heh." Ron blushed a little when he saw her. "It's alright…"

"I saw you," The young woman gestured to Percy. "And I said to myself, 'Zat is a Weasley."

"And you are?" Percy inquired politely.

"I am Fleur Delacour." Fleur said the name with pride. "Come let us not sit 'ere like strangers." Her voice slurred the last word. "Perhaps you would like to freshen up?" Her nose wrinkled slightly and Hermione didn't blame her. They hadn't bathed in a few days and she could only imagine how they would look to someone so well-groomed.

"We would like that. We traveled here as soon as we got off the ship." Susan tried to smooth her hair which just continued to look frazzled even though it was in a braid.

"In zat case!" Fleur brightened. "Perhaps you would all like a proper bath? And we will 'ave your clothes cleaned as well."

"We don't have any other clothes." Ernie pointed out after a moment.

"Zat's fine." Fleur began to walk away and then gestured for them to follow. "Ze maids will get you clothes. Just tell zem your size." Then she turned her head towards Ron. "How is my English?"

"It's really good." Ron nodded earnestly. Then he turned towards the others. "Fleur's been working on her English really hard."

"Jolly good." Ernie commented and Fleur gave him a smile that made him go red in the face.

"A proper bath at last." Draco look relieved, which made Hermione laugh quietly at him.

"Yes, and after your baths, we will all sit and talk in my sitting room." Fleur beamed at them. "Our other guest will be joining us as well."

"Other guest?" Ernie whispered questioningly at Zach, who just shrugged in reply.

"Mademoiselle!" A maid seemed to pop out of nowhere. Fleur gave her what sounded vaguely like instructions in French. The maid took out a wand and whispered something into it.

A moment later, a troupe of maids came around the corner. The original maid gave them rapid instructions.

"Please follow." A maid took Hermione's hand and began leading her away. Susan was right behind her, another maid leading her.

Hermione had no experience with being waited on but briefly thought that Draco was probably having the time of his life. Susan and she shared a confused look but before long they were lead into a bathroom with large, free-standing bath tubs.

Everything looked so expensive and clean that Hermione almost didn't want to mess it up by taking a bath. The maids waited patiently for them to undress while they drew their baths for Hermione and Susan.

"Is ze water good?" One maid asked them as they slid down into their tubs.

"It's perfect." Susan murmured happily and Hermione could only nod in agreement.

------------------------

After they bathed and the maids insisted on doing something with their hair, (Hermione felt bad for the poor maid who got extremely frustrated trying to get Hermione's hair to not just frizz out of place.) then the two were dressed and lead to Fleur's sitting room.

Amazingly, they were there before the boys. Fleur had tea set out, and a few trays of cakes and small sandwiches.

"Please, sit." Fleur gestured to the couches, which looked more like valuable family heirlooms then something you'd find a young lady sitting casually on. It was strange how Fleur could manage to look casual and so elegant all at once. Ron was also sitting on one of the small couches that surrounded the table. He had half a cake stuffed in his mouth when they came in, and tried to smile at them around it. Hermione tried hard not to laugh. "Are ze clothes alright?"

"Yes." Hermione answered, smoothing the knee length skirt she was wearing. "But they seem so nice…" She and Susan sat on the couch across from Ron.

"My family 'as gathered together so many clothes…no one will notice." Fleur waved a dismissive hand.

"Food!" Ernie exclaimed as they boys entered the room. Percy sat down next to Ron. Draco glared at Susan for a minute because each small couch could only fit two people and so he couldn't' sit next to Hermione. He hung back and finally sat on the couch next to Percy and Ron's couch by himself while Ernie and Zach took the couch across from him.

"Let's get down to business." Ron cleared his throat. "If you guys didn't now I was here, what _are_ you guys doing here?"

"It's difficult to explain—" Susan began but Ernie interrupted her.

"We've been sent by Dumbledore _himself_ to find the secret weapon that will defeat Voldemort." Ernie explained importantly, puffing out his chest. "We solved the first clue and it indicated that we were supposed to come here."

"What?" Ron looked confused but Fleur cleared her throat.

"A clue?" She tilted her head to one side. "It is good you met me first, zen."

"It is?" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Only two people know about zat." Fleur held up two fingers. "Ze 'ead of ze family and se heir."

"Heir?" Hermione blinked.

"Ze heir to the Delacour fortune." Fleur answered, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"This is all…yours?" Percy put two and two together.

"Not today, but when my mother retires." Fleur took a sip of tea calmly. "We 'ave a very…large family?" She turned towards Ron in polite confusion.

"She means extended family." Ron was pulling another cake towards himself. "The Delacour clan is huge. She has a ton of cousins and stuff—every time someone gets married they change their name to Delacour so they can inherit money. They all get a piece of the fortune but Fleur gets the house and the core of the money—something like that." Ron shrugged. "It's kind of weird at first but you get used to it. What's this about Dumbledore and a secret weapon?"

"There's a secret weapon that can destroy Voldemort, but it's well hidden." Percy turned towards his brother. "WE don't' what it is but…"

"We think it's Harry Potter." Ernie once more interrupted their conversation.

"Harry Potter?" Ron's eyes widened momentarily and then he frowned a little. "I don't think that's right…"

"I 'ave ze second clue for you." Fleur put in firmly. "But I must write it down."

"Malfoy's been awfully quiet." Susan nudged Hermione while whispering. Hermione turned her head and saw that he was rather stiffly drinking a cup of tea and seemed to be ignoring them all. She refrained from rolling her eyes.

Fleur tapped her wand twice on a table behind her chair and it turned into a large blackboard.

And in slow, painstakingly careful letters she wrote something on the blackboard.

_Nor tho, sake is mine I rumor._

"That officially makes less sense than the first clue." Zach announced.

"Zere are two parts to zis clue." Fleur informed them. "First, you must solve zis part and zen I will give you ze second part."

"I'm sorry." A boy's voice apologized as the door creaked open. "I just got the message about a meeting in here…"

Every one of their heads turned towards the young man who had just entered. Ernie and Hermione gasped simultaneously. They both realized who he was right away.

It wasn't his eyes that gave him away, or his hair. It wasn't the way he had a pleasant expression and a cheerful demeanor. None of these things were well-documented in current history books.

It was the scar in the shape of lightning on his forehead.

"Oh, hi, Harry." Ron greeted him.

-------------------------

Dun, dun, DUN! Right? Right? Come on! It's fun! Please review. (And hey, you could always take a crack at the clue…or my lack thereof of making up a terribly clever one.)


	11. Chapter 11

I apologize for not updating sooner. I realize it was probably very hard for you guys all things considering. (Like the fact that I left you with a cliff hanger!) I thought it was funny that nobody could make any sense of the clue because I worried I was being too easy on the characters but now I'm like, "See, see? I'm doing okay!" Let's get going!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Some mild swearing and stuff.

----------------------

Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Eleven

-----------------------

"_You're_ Harry Potter?" Ernie leapt to his feet. Harry Potter scratched the back of his head with his hand.

"Um…yeah." Harry admitted.

"Oh." Susan's eyes widened. "Oh." It was clear she was in a state of shock and kept repeating herself quietly while shooting looks all around at everyone.

"So?" Zach glared at his teacup, his voice laced with hostility.

"It an honor, really!" Ernie was shaking Harry's hand so enthusiastically that the dark-haired boy's glasses were knocked askew. "I've read all about you and…and…well just look at me! I'm standing next to the Boy Who Lived!"

"Nice to meet you." Harry tried before Ernie let him go. Then Harry took the empty seat next to Draco. "Hello." He greeted the others, looking a little shy. Hermione didn't blame him.

_He probably thinks we're all going to do what Ernie did…_

_But wait…if he's here…what's the secret weapon?_

"'Arry, zese are our guests." Fleur stumbled over the sentence a little. She gestured with her left hand which Hermione noticed had a silver band on the ring finger with a sparkling sapphire on it.

_Is Fleur…?  
_

"I'm Percy Weasley—Ron's older brother." Percy gave Harry a half smile. It had surprised him to run into the infamous wizard but his mind felt clouded. Joy. Hope. His way of locking himself away and concentrating on matters. Someone had to be the one who kept his head—even when everyone else was feeling emotional. The serious one. The one with no sense of humor. It was easier to be the one who no one liked then to actually try and still be liked by no one.

"I'm Susan Bones." Susan reached across the table to shake hands and Harry had to stand up to reach it.

"Aren't you…?" Harry blinked. "I heard…that all the Bones were…"

"Not yet." Susan's smile was bittersweet, as it always was when someone brought up her family.

"I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione gave a little shy wave.

"Oh!" Ernie looked excited that it was his turn. "I completely forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? Ernie Macmillan, at your service."

"Zacharias Smith." Zach had his arms crossed and was giving Harry a very unfriendly look. Harry looked helplessly at the others but no one could give him an explanation that was tactful enough to say out loud right then.

"Oh, almost forgot about you." Harry turned towards Draco. "What's your name?"

"My name is Draco Malfoy." Draco somehow managed to look down at Harry, even though they were the same height. "_You're _Harry Potter?" His voice was dripping with disdain. "You don't look like you could defeat Bones over there, let alone Voldemort."

"Malfoy?" Harry looked puzzled. "As in the Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy?"

"Okay, I've been wondering that this whole time!" Ron threw his hands up in exasperation. "What's the deal?"

"He came with us." Hermione felt like throwing her cake at Draco. He could be such a nuisance. "See, I was captured and forced to work in Malfoy Manor and then Draco—"

"And Draco decided to make Hermione his friend." Ernie couldn't take how long this was all taking. Didn't anyone else realize they were talking to the legendary Harry Potter? Plus, Ernie was one of those people who felt like his explanation of things was much better than other people's because he possessed a better understanding of people. "So when we got the first clue wrong, we ran into them and Draco set off the alarms in his house—it was a really rotten thing to do—so that we'd have to follow him out because he knew a secret way in and out of the manor—and then we had to take him with us. Maybe it's the same old tale of a person wanting to be more than the environment they grew up in—of wanting to be free! An heir who wanted to learn the power of friendship through a plain, but resourceful girl."

There was a moment of silence.

"I think it's really the tale of a brat who doesn't like it when things don't go his way." Zach corrected.

"I think it's the tale of a dead, envious Hufflepuff." Draco glared at Zach. "Macmillan, next time you decide to share, please _don't_."

"Anyways," Hermione changed the subject, though she was slightly peeved at Ernie's description of herself. "Back to the matter at hand—which is that Harry Potter _isn't _the secret weapon and we need to figure out the second clue." She looked as dignified as possible.

"I hope you don't mind more traveling companions." Harry adjusted his glasses. "I'm supposed to go with you."

"Really?" Ernie knocked over Zach's tea cup and didn't notice. Luckily it was empty. "You'll be traveling with us?"

"Ernie's in love." Zach muttered dryly.

"Ron and I." Harry jabbed a thumb at the red-haired young man, who was absent-mindedly reaching for a cake.

"I'm sure it's no trouble." Hermione assured him as she reached for the same cake, because she was distracted by Ernie fumbling to get Zach's cup back into it's proper place.

Ron's hand brushed against hers and the two jerked their hands away. They stared at each other for a second.

"Sorry, you have it." Hermione's cheeks were tinged pink.

"Yeah, okay, thanks." Ron's face went red. Susan giggled into her hand, Fleur's lips tilted upwards in a sly manner, and Draco's eyes narrowed.

"We already had one run-in with a Death Eater…" Ernie looked solemn for a moment. "It'd really be something if we had Harry Potter with us next time."

"I've been wondering about that…" Percy frowned. "How did that Death Eater know where we were?"

"Maybe it was a coincidence…" Susan volunteered. "Though that doesn't seem very likely."

"Maybe they're onto us!" Ernie snapped his fingers. "They might know what we're trying to find! Does Voldemort know about the weapon?"

"I don't know what the weapon is." Harry shrugged. "It's quite possible that Voldemort _doesn't _know."

"Fleur?" Susan turned towards the young woman. "Are you coming with us?"

"Me?" Fleur looked surprised. "Zat does sound…I don't know, Ron, what do you think?"

"I think it's fine." Ron couldn't think of any reason why she shouldn't. "It's really up to you."

"I will!" Fleur exclaimed. "It would be hard sitting 'ere when I could be 'elping…although I'll 'ave to inform mother and Jean Paul."

"Jean Paul?" Hermione inquired.

"My fiancée." Fleur held up her left hand so they could see the ring.

"Her _arranged _fiancée." Ron rolled his eyes.

"You have an arranged marriage/" Ernie's eyes went to the size of saucers.

"Of _course_ she does." Draco scoffed. "That's the way it works in our type of family."

"Oh?" Fleur looked interested. "Do you 'ave an arranged marriage too?"

"Ha!" Draco scoffed. "Nobody's forcing me into _that_."

"Jean Paul is a friend of mine from school." Fleur explained. "'E's very nice."

"He has the personality of a rock." Ron muttered and caught Harry's eye, who grinned.

"You know," Ernie began. "I think I know where this clue leads to. So what if the weapon isn't Harry? It's still in Osaka just like I said."

"Watch, it's in Romania." Zach commented in a pessimistic tone.

"Who wants to help me solve this?" Hermione stood up.

"I suppose I will." Draco volunteered. "Without me, you'll be lost."

"What will I do without someone to misread it?" Hermione's mouth tightened in annoyance. "Fine."

"Do you wish for ze rest of us to leave?" Fleur asked politely. "I can show ze others ze grounds."

"That sounds fantastic." Ernie got up as did the others.

"I could…um…" Ron cleared his throat. "I could help with the clue or something…" He looked at Hermione. "If you needed help, that is."

"No, when we need a mediocre mind, we'll call in Macmillan." Draco smirked as he stood next to Hermione.

"Why don't you go with the others?" Hermione suggested, stepping forward, and using the opportunity to grind her heel into Draco's foot. Then she leaned in. "Don't mind him, he didn't get his nap."

Ron's mouth widened into a big smile before he joined the others.

"I don't like him." Draco declared as soon as he was gone.

"Really? I couldn't tell." Hermione muttered sarcastically before going over to the chalk board. It was time to solve this clue.

_Of course I was saddled with watching Malfoy. _

_Oh well._

-------------------------

_"What's wrong?" _

_It was him, the tall blonde-haired man who had been taking care of him for as long as he could remember. Funny, he couldn't remember his own parents, even though they were the ones who died for him._

_Are the really good people forgotten about? Is that why no one thinks about the prince that breaks the enchantment, just the witch who cast it?_

_Harry stared at the rushing water of the river that he stood on the banks of. He was only seven years old, but he was an avid swimmer. He liked the sensation of being weightless. _

_To float away…from the world._

_"What's a Squib?" He asked quietly. The blonde man made a noise of slight surprise before sitting down on the rocks next to where he was standing._

_"It's someone who can't do magic." He answered truthfully._

_"Like a Muggle?" Harry tilted his head to one side curiously._

_"No…" The man looked downcast. "A Squib is someone who's supposed to be able to magic but they can't."_

_"Why?" Harry whispered._

_"That's just how it is."_

_And there I was, half in one world, half in another…a famous wizard, who defeated the greatest Dark wizard of his time…_

_Maybe that's what I'm supposed to be…_

_Except that I'm a Squib._

--------------------------

I know it's short. That's because the next chapter will probably be very long. So, forgive me? Well, I've got a chapter of Ghosts that desperately wants to be typed up, so I'll see you guys on the flip side. And hey, it only takes a second of your time to tell me what you think so please, review! I love to see what you guys think will happen next!


	12. Chapter 12

And it's time for…an update. Yeah. You know you want it. Heehee. I love that you guys are totally psyched about this story and we aren't even that far into it. But no biggie. We'll get there. I love how suspicious some of you guys are about what's going on. It makes me feel like J.K. Rowling or something, knowing people are like, "What does THAT mean?" I'll try to deliver…(Psst, Pobbin, I love the cake part too! I had a big debate with myself about whether it was too corny but I was like, "No, I love it!" And with any other couple there probably been a few back and forths of, "No, you take it!" but Ron loves cake too much for that…)

Disclaimer: I don't own HP

Warning: Some swearing and stuff.

------------------------

Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Twelve

------------------------

Fleur quickly organized a tour of the grounds and everyone (excluding Draco and Hermione) were happy to have some time to relax. Zacharias was so irritable though that he was managing to make it not such a pleasant time.

When they were done, Fleur gave them some rooms and told them what to do if they needed anything. ("Ze maids will bring it." She waved towards a set of bells in one of the rooms.) Then she went to go attend to some family business and they were left alone.

Susan immediately curled up on one of the couches in a room with windows that went from floor to ceiling and went to sleep. It was nice to have a snooze and she was so worn out lately.

A little while later, her eyes opened very slowly. It was a little later in the day. The room seemed darker. It made her feel sleepy all over again.

_I wonder if they've figured out the clue…_

_If only I was cleverer, I could help. _

_Hermione's clever. Ernie's valiant. Zach's brave. Percy's logical. Draco is…well, Draco. Ron is friendly. Harry's a hero. Fleur's beautiful. _

_What am I?_

_What makes me special? Being the last Bones? Anyone could be me…_

She heard a sigh and looked over. There, sitting on the very end of the couch she'd been fast asleep on was Zach. He was scowling at the window and the grounds beyond it. Susan couldn't stop from smiling.

Zacharias Smith had always been a little rough around the edges. In school he had hung back from the group. Always joining in half-heartedly. He always asked difficult questions. He was good at angering people. She'd been surprised when he volunteered to protect her.

Things were a little different now. Things had happened. It was secret though, not even Ernie knew. (Other people guessed but for some reason, Ernie didn't quite catch on.)

"What are you looking at?" Susan asked softly. Zach started a little.

"I didn't know you were awake." Zach muttered and crossed his arms. "'m not looking at anything."

"Then why do you have that look on your face?" Susan sat up.

"Because everyone's being ridiculous right now." Zach clearly wasn't getting into a better mood. "Ernie hero worships Harry Potter. What's so wonderful about Potter? What's he ever done? So he Lived. Big deal. Lots of people survive bad things every day. Everyone thinks he's a hero. That everything's going to be better now…"

"It could be." Susan moved so she as sitting a foot away from him. She looked out the window as well. "It could get better."

"How can _you_ say that?" Zach looked at her accusingly. "Your whole family is dead."

"Because I'm not dead." Susan gave him a very sharp look. "If I thought it was never going to get any better, I would go lie in a coffin and never get up again. They would all be disappointed if I did that. I have to fight. I have to keep going. Voldemort wanted to beat us down, to break our spirits…to make us give up. So that means that every day that I'm alive, I'm beating him."

"You really think Harry Potter's is going to be your hero?" Zach scoffed.

"No." Susan shook her head. "I think he's a hero though…he'll try to help us…and maybe he'll win. But that doesn't mean we should wait to be saved."

Zach was quiet for a few moments. Then Susan felt his hand cover her own. His hands were rough—just like him. But that roughness was comforting. Zach would always be himself. Maybe it was hard to see, but he needed people. And she thought, maybe he needed her.

Their fingers laced together and they sat there watching the world go by outside the window.

_Maybe no one is born special._

_It's other people who make them special._

--------------------------

Ron Weasley was a little bit apprehensive about having one of his brothers around.

He had always strived to stand out from the others, but it felt impossible. They were all more talented and more interesting than he was. Bill had been good-looking and talented with magic. Charlie had been the one who could somehow soothe anyone's temper and was generally always in a good mood. Percy had been the over-accomplished one, who was a bit stuck up, but their parents had always been proud of him. Fred and George were the favorites. Everybody they met loved them. Ginny was the only girl and so didn't have to have anything else to stand out but was still an accomplished witch and extremely pretty.

Ron himself was good at chess. He'd been a prefect and a Head Boy—which was amazing to him, considering he didn't think he was very good in his classes at school. He guessed when it came time to choose between him, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas; it wasn't really that hard to choose.

Up until now, being in France, he was away from everyone. Fleur Delacour, who was so good-looking that she turned heads wherever she went, had become special friends with him. She wanted to learn better English and she practiced constantly with him.

He had had a crush on her but of course, Fleur, who was so used to people being charmed by her, didn't even notice. Fleur had a fiancée. Ron supposed it was for the best but he couldn't help blushing even now when she greeted him in the traditional French way, by kissing him on both cheeks.

It had made him feel rather unique though, that he could be friends with someone like her. None of the other Weasleys were. That could be his thing. But now Percy was there. He'd make friends with her too. So it was back to square one for him.

Same with Harry Potter. What had once been a little gang of people that made Ron feel like he was lucky to be apart of, they were all becoming friends with other people. Was it wrong to get a little jealous and resentful?

_Why can't I have something that's all mine and no one else's?_

And now there was Hermione Granger.

Ron remembered her from school. She had been quiet and had never really spoken to anyone. No one really made friends with her either. The only time anyone heard her speak was when she was in class. She seemed to spend her time memorizing textbooks and could give word for word perfect answers. People hadn't liked her for being a bit of a know-it-all. Neither had Ron at first.

But as the years went on, everyone got used to Hermione. People praised her and she would help people if they asked her—which wasn't very often. First place in every exam. No one could touch her, she was the smartest girl in their whole year—probably the whole school.

Somehow, she had come to France. Unfortunately she seemed to have contracted Draco Malfoy. Ron hadn't liked him in school. He swaggered terribly and he was always picking on everyone else because he was from a rich, Pureblood family.

They'd all have to journey together. Ron wondered briefly if he should go upstairs and help with the clue but he knew he had never been any good at things like that. He could probably hang around Harry, but Harry liked to think by himself a lot. It was probably one of those times. Now that he was going to have to step up and help defeat Voldemort, he wasn't going to want Ron hanging around. Fleur was with her mother and probably about seven aunts. Ron didn't want to interrupt any family business.

He sat down on a bench in the garden. Maybe there was just nothing to do with him. Could he really blame anyone for wanting to make more friends?

"Hi." Percy's voice made Ron look up. Percy looked a little unsure, which wasn't how Ron generally remembered his brother. Percy was always snapping at them and talking boastfully about himself. Being a prefect, being Head Boy, working for the Ministry. He used to drive Ron mad with the way he talked down to him.

"Hello." Ron greeted him awkwardly.

"Can I…can I sit down?" Percy hesitated.

"I guess so." Ron shrugged. Percy sat down on the bench and they both said nothing for a few moments. Then, when the awkwardness got too tense for them to handle, Ron decided to try and make conversation. "Er…how have you been?"

"I've been fine." Percy wondered if he should elaborate. Bill had teased him a lot, Charlie would slap him on the back and try to get him to join into the fun, Fred and George seemed to think he was the opposite of cool, and Ginny had adopted a similar attitude. Ron had never particularly seemed to like him. He envied Ron though. He could make friends with anyone. And Percy couldn't.

"Well, that's good." Ron wished he could be a little less fidgety. He envied Percy. He was never really bothered by anything. Other than loud noises when he was working on reports for the Ministry. "How did you get involved in all this?"

"After the Ministry was destroyed, I was kind of left on my own." Percy answered slowly. "I wandered all over. And then one day, I saw a safe house and I met them—Zach, Ernie, and Susan, I mean. There was an attack nearby and Hannah Abbott told us that Dumbledore wanted us to find the weapon. We messed up on the first clue and that's how we ran into Hermione Granger and got saddled with Malfoy."

"Everyone thought you were dead." Ron admitted.

"I thought all the Weasleys were dead." Percy wished he could think of way to show Ron that he was glad to be with one of his brothers at last. He had that letter from Fred and George, but that was it. He couldn't hug him, because he didn't really deserve to. He had always kind of shunned Ron. Shaking his hand didn't mean enough. Words were trivial. He wished Ron could just tell.

"Yeah." Ron nodded and felt dumb. One of his older brothers was alive. Somebody he thought was dead. Maybe he should hug him? Nah. He always felt like he had brushed Percy off in the past.

"I should probably…go." Percy stood up. "Nice talking to you."

"It was." Ron agreed. He also stood up. "I have some stuff to do."

"Of course." Percy nodded and walked away. With each step he felt worse. Coward. Coward. Coward. Your family is alive. Don't you care? Don't you want to tell Ron that you're happy? Happier than you have been in a long time?

_"I hope you like it."_

_He hesitantly glanced up to give a quick smile to the giver but their attention had been seized by someone else. He looked down at the still wrapped package, but felt alone._

_I'm all alone. _

_Without you…_

_Because I can't make myself less lonely. I can't make people understand me. I can't hope that people will know how I feel. _

_That's why I lost you…and maybe I can't find you…_

_Do I have to find myself first?_

He turned around to speak to Ron but his little brother was gone. Percy had missed his chance to say something. To do something. He felt low.

Ron walked away with the same sinking feeling. Everything else was changing. Couldn't his relationship with his brother change as well?

------------------------

_He sat at the top of the stairs, looking through the railing's wooden bars. There they were, all laughing and joking. A lot of them. Wizards._

_They looked so happy. Harry wondered if it was because they could do magic. How could anything be sad if you could use magic? Hey presto! And everything was better. A quick fix. _

_"How's the boy, Remus?" Harry noticed that an old man was talking to the blonde-haired man. _

_"He's fine." Remus hesitated. "I worry about him though. Ever since I told him what a Squib was…"_

_"He has to know." The old man shook his head. "We can't lie to him. Besides, it doesn't take magic to change the world…just hope."_

_"Are you talking about…?" An older woman joined their conversation. Harry hoped no one noticed him. It was very dark on the landing, so it was possible they couldn't even see him. "I'll never forget that night…the night Lily and James died. I was checking the book for admissions to see if any new names had appeared. And before my very eyes, his name faded away. I knew right then that something horrible had happened. I thought he had _died_…"_

_"And to some, burning out and becoming a Squib is the same thing as dying." Remus sighed. "I wish there was something more I could do for him. I don't know how to be a parent. Sirius acts like he's James…Children don't always need friends…they also need guidance."_

_"Sirius is just trying to deal with his grief." The old man smiled. "Neither of you volunteered to be parents—"_

_"I'm happy to do it." Remus cut in. "So is Sirius. But sometimes it's so hard…if I could give him my magic, I would."_

_But I don't want anyone else's magic. _

_I want my own._

_Pity me because I don't have magic, pity me because I don't have parents. _

_I hate it. _

_There's nothing to change, no way to give myself magic. _

_I'm not a Squib._

_I'm Harry Potter. Nothing special, just a boy who had some bad luck. Maybe I could have friends. Maybe I'd go to school. Maybe I'd go by train. And when I open that train door, someone will call out, "Hello, Harry!"_

_People who are glad to see me. _

_Not people who look away. _

_Let me be what I am…not what you wanted me to be._

------------------------

He was laying on one of the couches and staring at the ceiling in a frustrated way. He was so sick of looking at that clue that he could scream. Hermione was using the blackboard and writing different variations of things. The chalk noise was driving him crazy too.

Draco Malfoy sat up and looked at her but she was too busy tapping the chalkboard with a piece of chalk and frowning horribly.

"It's unsolvable." Draco declared.

"Fat lot of help you've been…" Hermione snapped at him distractedly. "We've got to figure this out."

"Who cares? The secret weapon can't be that great or they would have used it by now." Draco sat back.

"I care! Now shut up and don't bother me if you don't have anything productive to say." Hermione turned back towards the chalkboard.

"Are you mad because I didn't agree to have that Ron Weasley stay here and make eyes at you?" Draco asked in a very nonchalant tone. Hermione pressed down too hard on the piece of chalk and it snapped in half.

"He was not making eyes at me!" Hermione protested, blushing. "He just wanted to help. I should have let him, now that I know you aren't going to do anything but moan."

"You're not very nice to me, Hermione." Draco observed.

"Have you ever considered that it might be because you're an unpleasant person?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm perfectly pleasant!" Draco looked peeved. "Name one unpleasant thing I've done to you!"

"I was a _slave_, you constantly make horrible remarks about my lineage, you get mad when you don't get your way, you're so full of yourself I don't know how you can see straight, and you act like a total baby when other people are nice to me." Hermione ticked items off on her fingers. "I could go for longer but I think that's a good overview."

"I have a counterpoint for every one of those." Draco stood up, holding out his fingers so he could tick off items. "_I_ wasn't the one who forced you into slavery; you don't have any lineage, you're a Mudblood; everybody likes to have things go their way; I can't help it if I'm a little self-centered—most great people are; and you're _my_ friend. You would think that a friend would _enjoy _being appreciated but I guess not."

"What you do is not what anyone would call 'appreciation'. Face it: you're just a little kid who doesn't want someone else to play with his toys." Hermione told him off.

"Crabbe and Goyle never complained!" Draco threw his hands up in the air.

"That's because you bullied them around and they had to do whatever you said." Hermione reminded him.

"I know that I'm a horrible person, but I thought you would understand." Draco sat back down, obviously too angry to argue anymore.

"What?" Hermione was taken aback.

"Nothing. Never mind." Draco began to kick the coffee table's leg with one foot. He didn't want to tell Hermione the truth.

He had always wanted to be friends with her.

She was the most brilliant witch he'd ever met and even in school he could only imagine what it would be like to be friends with her. Their first year, he decided that she was probably good enough to be friends with him when she started beating him in every class that Slytherin and Gryffindor had together.

Somebody to make plans with. Somebody to study with. Somebody to swap ideas with. A friend. Someone who wasn't concerned about their ability to trace back their pure blood fifty generations. Somebody who wasn't expected to respect him.

But when he tried to make friends with her, she hadn't even noticed.

_"You're Hermione Granger." Draco had approached her while she was reading under a tree. Goyle and Crabbe trailed behind him. "I'm Draco Malfoy."_

_She glanced up from her book. "Oh, okay."_

_"What are you doing?" Draco asked her. _

_"Reading." Hermione answered shortly._

_"That's me as well." Draco drew himself up. Then Professor McGonagall had called out a window for Hermione. She jumped up and walked off quickly. She hadn't even noticed him! _

_He'd show her! He'd beat her at her own game! And when she saw that he was smarter than her she'd…_

_She'd want to be friends with him._

_Everyone should want to be friends with me._

He had people that followed him around but no friends. Hermione Granger had no friends. Maybe they weren't the sort who people liked. He heard people call her stuck up and he knew people said rotten things about him behind his back too. Were they both horrible people?

Wasn't she supposed to understand?

"Hey…" Hermione sat on the couch opposite of him. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, thinking hard. "Look, you can't treat people however you feel like. You've got to make an effort."

"I make an effort." Draco didn't feel particularly forgiving. "Got your wand back, didn't I?"

"Yes, and that was a very nice thing to do." Hermione agreed. "Thank you."

Draco regarded her for a moment.

_How can someone you barely know affect you? _

_I studied every day, just to try and beat you. _

_And I never did. _

_Maybe I was wrong and Hermione isn't a bad person. Just me. _

_Horrible little toads don't have friends…but…_

_She never says we aren't friends…so, we must be. _

"I accept your apology." Draco declared.

"I wasn't apologizing." Hermione spoke in a dead pan voice. Then she glanced at the blackboard out of the corner of her eye and gasped. She jumped up. "I've got it! I know what it says!"

"What?" Draco blinked.

"I know what the clue means!" Hermione was excitedly running towards the door.

"We were having a moment." Draco pointed out in exasperation.

"A…what?" Hermione stopped short of the door and turned around. Her face turned a shade of green. "A…moment?"

"Not that kind of moment!" Draco picked up a small cushion and threw it across the room at Hermione. "Argh! It was a friends' moment. Never mind now! Go get the idiot brigade and tell us where we're going before I have to be sick all over this couch!"

"You're so dramatic." Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm getting the others now."

When she returned fifteen minutes later, she had managed to round everybody up. Even Fleur who immediately dropped everything when she heard what Hermione was shouting up and down the halls.

When everyone was inside the room and settled into seats, Hermione used her half piece of chalk to demonstrate.

"Okay," Hermione began writing. "I kept running into problems because I was thinking that it would be just like last time with the letters perfectly rearranging but they don't! Watch!"

_Nor tho, sake is mine I rumor._

"Now, watch as I move the spacing."

_North osake, is mine I rumor._

"Holy cricket! North Osaka!" Ernie Macmillan jumped up. "I was right!"

"Why did he have to be right?" Zach moaned into his hands.

"Wait! He's not right. We aren't going to North Osaka." Hermione shook her head. "Keep watching." She wrote a line underneath that.

_North osake is miner, rumoi. _

_North Osaka is minor, Rumoi. _

"Rumoi?" Harry cocked his head to one side. "Japan?"

"Yes. At least, I think so." Hermione nodded her head. "In 1634, they invented how to weave the silk together to make Invisibility Cloaks there. I was thinking that since those are used to hide someone's presence, maybe its part of the clue. That's where the secret weapon is."

"I've never heard of it." Ernie pouted, now that his moment of triumph was over.

"She never would have done it without me." Draco looked thoroughly satisfied with himself.

"Is it right?" Percy turned towards Fleur.

"Yes." She smiled. "And now for ze second part of ze clue. Once we get zere."

"What is it?" Susan leaned in eagerly.

Fleur smiled brilliantly.

"Banzai."

--------------------------

Yeah…er…stuff. This was kind of a weird chapter. Wanted to do a bunch of character reflection and stuff. Good times. Well, give 'er a review, please.


	13. Chapter 13

You know what I call this story behind its back? Substance Abuse. Yeah. Teresa calls it something else but I can't tell anyone it because it's a plot spoiler. Argh. Teresa, with your clever ways…Anyways, I was sad more people didn't review last chapter. There was a Percy fan that I was waiting to hear from but they never reviewed. But I appreciate the reviews I did get! Thanks for reading!

(**Note**: There's a scene where Fleur talks without an accent—she's actually speaking French but since my readers and I don't speak fluently the language of love, I decided this would be an easier way to differentiate when she's speaking her native tongue and when she's speaking English. Same goes for our other French speakers.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Mild swearing and stuff.

---------------------

Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Thirteen

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_"We're going now." Lupin put a hand on his shoulder. Harry looked up at him, a little confused. Where were they going? "It's time."_

_"It feels wrong taking a kid to a cemetery." Sirius, the other one, with wild eyes and dark hair. "Especially to see his parents."_

_"He's going to have to go sometime." Lupin held out his wand. "They'd be disappointed if he never did…"_

_"If only I got there sooner…" Sirius sighed. "If only I hadn't trusted Peter…"_

_"No one blames you." Lupin spoke in a stern voice. Harry watched the two and thoughts began to swirl in his head._

_No, they blame _me

_Defeating Voldemort…if only I had done it sooner…maybe then they'd still be alive. _

_Maybe it's a good thing they died…what would they think of me?_

_"Can't you even do a little magic?" That's what they'd say. And they'd go on to have other children, who wouldn't be Squibs. They'd forget about me. Nothing special. _

_That's me. _

--------------------------

Fleur decided the train would be their best bet. An airplane would be faster but it didn't leave a lot of room for escape, should that become necessary. After the train, they'd board a ship and sail the rest of the way to Rumoi.

In the middle of directing the maids to pack only one bag for herself (it was hard, because Fleur was used to taking as much stuff as she wanted when she traveled, but it was important to remember that they were on a mission) and trying to arrange expenses for the trip with one of her aunts (who was also one of the twelve family accountants), a maid entered to tell her that Jean Paul was there.

"In a moment." Fleur rubbed her temples. The maid curtsied and Fleur sighed. Her and Jean Paul were arranged to be married. He was a very nice young man, who was always polite to everyone and never had a harsh word to say. He treated Fleur with the utmost respect and yet…

_I don't love him. _

_But I must respect my family's wishes. It could be much worse. _

_He is kind. Maybe I'll grow to love him._

Finally, when her aunt was satisfied and the maids had crammed an awful lot into a piece of designer luggage, Fleur went down into her sitting room, where he was waiting. The chalkboard was gone, as were all the signs of tea yesterday. The others were all milling around the mansion somewhere, probably in their guest rooms.

"Fleur." Jean Paul stood and they kissed each other on both cheeks before Fleur sat across from him, arranging herself just so. "I hear you're leaving."

"I am. It's very important. I'll be back…soon." Fleur wasn't sure when she'd be back.

"I'll miss you while you're gone." Jean Paul smiled at her.

"Yes, I'll miss you as well." Fleur felt like she was lying. What was the harm with little white lies? They never hurt anybody.

"You're mother and I were talking before." Jean Paul looked shy all of a sudden. "She says when you get back…we should get married."

---------------------------

Fleur waved to him as he left the mansion. As soon as the butler closed the door, Fleur suddenly leaned against a pillar. Her eyes were wide, her chest was too tight to breathe. Her wedding had always been something that was years from now and now it was looming over her.

_When I get back…_

_I'm going to marry Jean Paul._

_It's fine. I can do this. It's tradition. It's expected of you. All the heirs have to do this. They have to graduate from Beauxbatons; they have to be superb witches. They have to learn all about business and accounting. I did those things…_

_Why is this one so hard?_

"Fleur?" Ron's voice made her shake herself and she looked up at the gangly, freckle-faced red-haired young man. "Are you okay?"

"I was just feeling a little under ze weather." Fleur spoke in a nonchalant voice. "I am fine now."

"Okay." Ron didn't look like he believed her. "Well, just so you know, everyone's packed. I can't believe you bought them all clothes…"

"It is ze least I could do." Fleur didn't seem to think it was a big deal. "All ze plans for ze trip have been made. We'll be leaving in two hours for ze train station."

"That was fast." Ron tried to pretend he didn't notice the way she quickly changed the subject. Fleur was usually happy to confide in him and now she wasn't. He tried not to be bothered by it but he couldn't help feeling a little resentful.

The two of them walked to where the others were. They were all sitting in one of the large sitting rooms that Fleur had designated for their use.

Zach was sitting next to Susan and as usual, scowling. Susan was trying to have a conversation with Hermione but Draco kept making scathing remarks and interrupting Susan. Harry was defending Susan and every time Susan gave him a grateful look, Zach's scowl deepened. Percy was reading a book about Japanese customs that he'd found in the Delacour library and Ernie was reading over his shoulder—annoying Percy greatly in the process. For example:

"I've never been to Japan." Susan commented.

"I can tell." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Neither have I." Hermione was clutching her wand, wondering if it would really be so wrong to curse Draco silent for an hour or two.

"I think it'll be—" Susan was cut off.

"Please don't speak. You're not going to say anything remotely interesting and I'm so sick of your attempts at small talk that I could cry." Draco interrupted her.

"They're not doing anything to you." Harry spoke up. "And if you don't like it, why don't you just leave the room?" Susan smiled at Harry and Zach immediately gave the green-eyed boy a look that suggested Potter might go up in flames any second now.

"Hey did you guys know that when you're drinking alcoholic beverages, it's considered bad manners to pour it into your own glass? You're supposed to fill up each other's cups." Ernie informed them from where he was, leaning over his armchair to look at the book in Percy's hand. Percy looked like he might start beating Ernie to death with the book.

"Good afternoon." Fleur felt pleased with herself for not stumbling over her words. "We are going to ze train station in a few hours. Perhaps you'd like to eat first?"

"I'm starving." Ron announced.

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Hermione agreed. "If it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all." Fleur shook her head before going over to a row of bells. She rang a few and after she instructed the maids with what she wanted, she led them all out to a huge gazebo out on the grounds.

It reminded Hermione briefly of the same gazebo where she had to have tea with Draco, but she decided that didn't mean she should shun all gazebos.

"Ze chefs will bring out ze food shortly. Zey are always cooking." Fleur explained. "And I am 'oping that my little sister will be out to eat with us. I asked ze maids to find her."

"I am 'ere!" Gabrielle, who looked like a shorter version of Fleur suddenly popped up. They had see her at dinner the night before but she had been talking excitedly in French with her cousins and it was hard for them to join into the conversation at the huge dinner table. "I cannot believe you're going away! Off to Japan…" She looked glum. "You will 'ave to bring me back a kimono!"

"I might not 'ave time, Gabrielle." Fleur patted her sister's head affectionately. "Are you hungry?"

"I've been shopping all day!" Gabrielle looked happy. "And zen I get 'ome and ze maids say to me, 'Gabrielle, your sister wants you.' Suzette and I were so worn out. But 'ow can I say no to food? I am so 'ungry! I will probably eat too much and not fit in my new clothes, but zat's okay."

"She eats as much as Ron." Fleur told them all.

After their meal (Hermione jabbed Draco with a spoon halfway through it because he wouldn't stop flicking peas at Ron and Zach—who happened to be seated next to each other. Draco spent the rest of the meal pouting.) and Fleur said good-bye to everyone (which took some time) and they loaded all their stuff into the cabs (they were all relieved not to have to stuff themselves all in one cab), they were off to the train station.

When they got to the train station and their luggage was loaded onto the train, they faced something as puzzling as one of Dumbledore's clues.

Trying to decide who would be in what train compartment.

Each compartment was set up for four people. They had three compartments. There were nine of them. Six boys, three girls.

Fleur's initial suggestion that the girls should share one compartment and the six boys split up however best suited them was met with opposition. Zach didn't want to be in a different compartment than Susan because he was her bodyguard. Ernie argued that he also one of her bodyguards so maybe they should be in one compartment together and the other six should figure out how to split up. Zach didn't want Ernie in the compartment but soon realized he was not getting a compartment of just him and Susan.

Hermione didn't want to be stuck with Draco the whole trip, but Draco was refusing to be in anyone else's compartment and said he'd rather have a whole compartment to himself but was willing to share with her because he was a generous soul. Susan wanted to be in a compartment with Hermione but Zach refused to be in a compartment with Draco.

Then Fleur suggested that her, Harry, and Ron share a compartment and then the other six could split up however they wanted between two compartments. Hermione immediately vetoed this, before going red in the face and muttering some reason _why _she was opposed to this under her breath. Draco declared that Ron couldn't be in _their _compartment.

Percy got embarrassed while muttering about how he didn't think it was proper for boys and girls to be sharing sleeping quarters. When Ernie asked why, because after all, they'd all slept in that little room on the _Bonny Truffle_, Percy just cleared his throat and said that as the only Ministry official, he thought it was good for them to lay down some moral boundaries.

Of course this just caused them all start up again for another thirty minutes while Fleur tried to explain to one of the train officials why they weren't seated yet.

"Okay, that is it!" Hermione stamped her foot. "Let's just draw straws or something! I'm sick of arguing."

"No way!" Zach refused. "I'll get stuck with Malfoy—I've got rotten luck."

"We're all friends here." Ernie tried to remind everyone diplomatically. "Well, obviously not you, Draco."

"Ernie!" Susan reprimanded him. "We're trying to come to a solution, not make more problems…"

"That's it, no Hufflepuffs in my compartment." Draco declared.

"Oh for the love of everything holy!" Hermione buried her face in her hands. "Is there anyone that can be in your compartment? And don't say me." She added on when Draco started to point towards her.

"Zey want us to all sit." Fleur informed the group. "'ow about this? Ernie, Zach, and Susan in one compartment; Draco, Hermione, and I in ze next one; and Harry, Ron, and Percy in ze last one."

Everyone paused for a moment. Zach, Ernie, and Susan (who hadn't really been fighting with everyone) all nodded. Draco didn't seem to mind Fleur since she was from a prominent and rich wizard family like himself. Hermione sighed and decided that as long as she didn't have to be alone with Draco for the whole train ride, it would be fine. Percy, Ron, and Harry all simultaneously shrugged.

As soon as they were all split up and seated the train finally started rolling along. They were leaving France and headed for Japan.

Half an hour into the train ride, Hermione got up to go see what the others were doing. Percy had left to go sit in the dining car so he could be by himself so when she walked by Ron and Harry playing a game of cards.

"You want to play?" Harry called her in and Hermione sat down on the floor with them.

"What are you playing?" Hermione asked.

"War." Ron gathered up the cards. "Do you know how to play?"

"Yeah, Ernie and Susan taught me." Hermione smiled. "You guys don't mind?"

"Nah, it's more fun with three people." Harry commented as Ron dealt the cards out. "We'd play Exploding Snap but we thought we'd attract less attention this way."

"It's fine." Hermione gathered all her cards in a pile.

"See you've been stuck with Malfoy again." Ron remarked as they began playing.

"Don't remind me." Hermione gathered up a round she won. "Sometimes he's almost decent and then the next moment he's so unlikable that it's mind-boggling."

"He doesn't seem to like Ron." Harry countered Ron's jack and Hermione's queen with an ace.

"He doesn't seem to like _anybody_." Hermione rolled her eyes. "But let's talk about something else. I hope Ernie didn't give you a bad impression of all of us. I mean, it was exciting to meet you, but we don't plan to brag about it to our grandchildren or anything."

"Nah, it's alright." Harry pushed his glasses further up his nose. "I'm sure I'd be more used to it if Dumbledore hadn't put me in hiding for so long."

"Why did he hide you? If you don't mind me asking." Hermione questioned.

"Dumbledore always knew that Voldemort hadn't really died." Harry answered. "And he wanted to teach me magic personally. I didn't learn normal magic like you guys did at Hogwarts."

"Harry's magic is really powerful." Ron explained. "Dumbledore told me that Harry shouldn't use magic because he can't control it."

"It's only supposed to be used for really powerful spells. The ones that you've normally got to study for years and years before someone will teach it to you." Harry explained. "It's not really that great. If I do a _lumos_, it could blow up the train."

"No wonder you didn't go to school with the rest of us." Hermione felt a little overawed. "So, does Dumbledore think it was your unusual abilities that saved you when you were a baby?"

"Maybe." Harry hesitated. "No one really knows for sure what happened that night. And of course I don't remember."

"It's too bad you couldn't have come to school with us." Hermione shook her head. "I think Hogwarts might have been a little more interesting."

"Really?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "You think so?"

"Harry's a trouble magnet." Ron laughed. "Gabrielle used to have a huge crush on him and he used to have to dodge her and about half her female cousins. And he's broken six vases—although those I can just magic back together. Fleur's mom always stands really protectively around anything breakable when Harry's in the room. Believe me, if Harry had been at Hogwarts, he'd just be getting into one thing after another." Harry punched Ron in the arm.

"Ron says you were the best witch in his year." Harry spoke up, trying to change the subject.

_He…did?_

"Er, I guess." Hermione felt her face heating up. "I didn't really do anything other than study. Books, cleverness, anyone can learn all that stuff. I'm not any good at stuff that you can't read about in books."

"Is that why you didn't have any friends?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Yes, I suppose that's why." Hermione's tone was ice-cold and she was obviously miffed.

_Ron's an idiot._

"I just meant…" Ron could tell he had gotten himself in trouble. "You know…you didn't have any friends _then_. Now you do."

"Ron, I think Hermione's going to strangle you if you don't stop." Harry mused good-naturedly. Hermione made a sound that Ron thought sounded a bit like a growl.

"I mean," Ron tried once more to get himself out of his hole. "I think you were so smart that people were, you know, _intimidated_ by you. I know I was. I thought you wouldn't even want to be friends with someone like me."

Hermione suddenly had a very different look on her face. Her eyes were wide, as though she were just opening a present and what was inside was something she'd wanted for awhile now. She stared at Ron for a minute.

Harry looked back and forth between them with a puzzled air. He cleared his throat, which seemed to snap Hermione out of it.

"Er, sorry." Hermione looked down at the floor. "Did I put a card down yet?"

And the three continued their game as the train traveled onwards.

-----------------------

Fleur looked over at Draco. She had an insatiable curiosity about things. It used to drive people crazy when she'd sit there and ask them questions. She was especially curious about people. And the people who snapped at people who asked them personal questions were just _asking _for attention from her.

"Malfoy, zat's a French name?" Fleur questioned. "_Mal foi_, bad faith."

"Yes." Draco nodded, his eyes swinging from the window that he'd been looking out to her.

"Your father's a…" Fleur furrowed her brow for a moment as she mentally searched for the correct English term. "Death Eater, _n'est-ce pas_?"

"That's right." Draco gave her a scrutinizing look. "Why?"

"I was wondering why it is zat you are 'ere." Fleur answered honestly. "Are you on our side?"

"I'm just here because Hermione wanted to leave." Draco shrugged. "It was less boring than staying at my father's house."

"Ah." Fleur nodded her head. "Are you in love with 'er?"

"No." Draco looked annoyed with the suggestion.

"You are so possessive of 'er. You do not like it when others speak to 'er. You definitely do not like Ronald." Fleur speculated. "Are you sure?"

"I think me not liking Weasley goes without saying. He's an annoying scamp. I'm not in love with her. We're friends. Isn't this what friends do?" Draco's tone was faraway all of a sudden. Then he cleared his throat. "I've got no interest in romance. My father's been waiting for me to decide who I'm marrying for awhile now."

"Zey did not arrange one for you?" Fleur cocked her head to one side.

"Mother lets me do whatever I want." Draco waved a hand. "If I say I'm not marrying anyone, she tells my father to be patient. They'll wait forever though."

"You 'ave no wish to be married? Even if you fell in love?" Fleur inquired.

"If I fall in love, I can't get married." Draco answered cryptically.

"Oh." Something appeared to dawn on Fleur. "You'd prefer…_un compain,_ zen?"

"What?" Draco asked sharply—his French wasn't very good, but he wasn't about to admit that.

"Oh, nothing." Fleur smiled charmingly and batted her eyelashes. "I'm to be married when I get back."

"But let me guess, you don't want to?" Draco raised a knowing eyebrow. "You're some kind of walking cliché aren't you?"

"Because you are not?" Fleur countered. Draco felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards.

"Alright. I'll bite. Why don't you just tell Mother Delacour you don't want to?" Draco asked, looking bored.

"It is not easy." Fleur shook her head. "I must do zis."

"Then stop complaining about it. You have two choices," Draco told her in a no-nonsense sort of voice. "One is to do it and if you've decided to go through it, stop whining about it. The other one is to stand up for yourself."

"Hermione and ze others don't seem to zink you're very nice." Fleur's face lit up. "But zat is very good advice."

"Ugh, don't get all weird and sentimental." Draco made a face. "I just wanted you to shut up. I wasn't being nice. I would have expected some pride out of the French. And where did Hermione go?" He stood up and opened the door to the compartment before going out to look for Hermione. Fleur couldn't resist teasing him about being nice to her though.

"Oh! Draco, _mon ami_!" Fleur called after him. "_Je t'adore_! I adore you! _Veux-tu m'épouser_? Will you marry me?" Then she proceeded to hang out the compartment and blow kisses at the blonde-haired boy who was grinding his teeth all the way to the dining car.

"Knock it off!" He shouted back at her. "Stop that revolting display right this instant!"

Fleur burst into laughter before going back to sit in her seat. She looked out the window as the countryside rolled on.

_What will I do? Will I go ahead and marry Jean Paul? _

_Or will I choose my own path?_

----------------------

I'm affectionately dubbing this 'The Fleur Chapter'. Heehee. In case you were wondering what Fleur was calling down the hall, she repeats herself in English for Draco's benefit and the readers'. And if you don't know, 'n'est-ce pas?' means 'is it not so?' so sort of like saying, 'Right?'. Forgive my French though if it isn't a hundred percent grammatically correct—I only took a year of French and I used some online dictionaries to make sure I wasn't just making words up. I tried hard. Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

It's that time again! What are they getting up to now in this story? Someone complimented me on my ability to keep tabs on everyone. I'm very absent-minded in real life so it's amazing that I can keep track of these guys but have to talk myself through procedures at my job. I think it's because I'm not meant to have a real job—just be a writer. (And don't say that's a job, since it consists mainly of watching television while pretending to be working on out a plot point so you can say you did something.)

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

Warnings: Some swearing and mild violence. Oh, and someone hugs Percy in this chapter.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Fourteen

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It felt like they had been on the train for a very long time. While Fleur spent her time drinking expensive coffee in the dining cart, while reading a book, others tried to amuse themselves in other ways.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione began playing card games everyday, almost all day. Susan quickly found out about it and joined in with Ernie and Zach. Percy occasionally played but preferred to go read in the dining car, sitting across from Fleur. The other passengers would come to the dining car just to gawk and stare at Fleur, or at least, that was Percy's theory.

"Fleur's not very conspicuous." Percy commented to the others during their gin rummy tournament. "If anybody's following us, she's like a big red flag."

"She's really nice." Susan said as though this counteracted anything negative Percy had to say about Fleur and settled the matter.

"Yeah." Ron agreed. "Plus, she's paying for all of this."

"I've been doing some reading." Ernie piped up excitedly. "And 'banzai' is a Japanese phrase that literally means 'ten thousand years'. It's a way of saying good luck."

"So, is Dumbledore just wishing us luck?" Ron inquired.

"There's also bonsai trees. Those little trees that they prune to keep that size. It's considered an art form." Hermione added on. "I'm sure it'll make sense when we get there."

"Can't we just ask Fleur?" Zach questioned.

"I already did." Percy pushed his glasses up his nose. "She said she didn't know what the second part meant."

"Hermione." Draco came into the compartment. He didn't play cards with everyone else and seldom came out of their compartment. "I need to talk to you."

"In a minute." Hermione was regarding her hand carefully and didn't bother looking up.

"I meant now." Draco insisted.

"She's not your servant." Ron snapped at the blonde-haired boy, partly to stick up for Hermione and partly because he was nowhere near winning.

"Mind your own business, Weasley." Draco glared at Ron.

"Gin." Ernie announced and everyone moaned and threw their cards at him. This was quickly becoming a ritual: if you won a game, don't be surprised when you're being pelted with cards.

"Okay, what is it?" Hermione asked Draco. Draco pursed his lips and motioned with his head for her to come out of the compartment. Hermione got up, stumbling out of the compartment because her leg was asleep.

"I'm bored." Draco informed her.

"Why don't you come play cards?" Hermione gestured towards the compartment where a muffled burst of laughter sounded on cue.

"I can tell where I'm not wanted." Draco sniffed.

"I've found that if you avoid people like they have bubonic plague, they tend to not take it well." Hermione advised him. "Come play a few games. They'll warm up to you."

"Can't we just go for a walk?" Draco pleaded. Hermione was tempted to tell him to stuff it because he was being a bit of a brat but he had a weird look on his face that made Hermione pause. Hermione realized that Draco was a little scared of the group.

_It's because he doesn't know how to make friends…_

_Neither did I. I spent seven years at Hogwarts being scared. Can I really blame him?_

"Okay." Hermione agreed. They spent some time walking up and down the train cars, stopping in the dining cart to talk to Fleur. It was a little hard since a man was trying to flirt with Fleur, who was making polite conversation with him. As soon as she spotted them, she waved and asked if everyone wanted to join her for tea at three.

When they got back to Harry, Ron, and Percy's compartment, Draco stood there unsurely.

"You could come in and play." Hermione suggested encouragingly. For the last half an hour or so, Draco had been almost pleasant. Draco stared at the door.

"No." He finally answered reluctantly. "Thanks for walking with me. I'll let you get back to the plague victims." And with that, he disappeared into their compartment.

Hermione entered to see that gin rummy had been abandoned for Rich Man, Poor Man.

"I've won three times in a row." Susan told Hermione excitedly.

"Stupid advantage…" Zach muttered as he had been Poor Man for the last four rounds.

"What did Malfoy want?" Ron asked, trying to look as though he couldn't care less, although this tone of voice was ruined by the scowl on his face.

"Nothing much." Hermione shrugged. "Oh, Fleur wants us to meet her in the dining car at three for tea."

"Good, I'm starving." Ron and Harry said at the exact same time.

"Ha! Jinx!" Harry yelled triumphantly. "You have to buy me cake at tea time!" Percy suddenly remembered something from his years at Hogwarts.

_"Jinx! Jinx! You owe me a cake from Madam Puddifoot's." _

_I forgot to buy you that cake…I never went there…isn't that only a place for girlfriends and boyfriends to go? I never took Penelope…it didn't feel right. _

_Is it wrong to miss you? Will I see you when I get back?_

_Tonks?_

---------------------------

_The two tombstones didn't have any fancy carving on them. They were rather plain. The names were prominently displayed on them. They didn't need a fancy headstone though, because there were lots of flowers there. Lupin and Sirius laid down more flowers on the graves._

_"Even after all this time…" Lupin shook his head. "Those lilies, those are Dumbledore's. It looks like the rest of the Order comes here regularly…"_

_"Lily and James…they were the best of us…" Sirius' head was bowed. Harry just stared at the graves._

_What am I supposed to feel?_

_I didn't know them…_

_I wanted to…I want…_

_I don't know…I need to know what I'm supposed to do now…with my life…if they were here, would they be able to tell me?_

_Why did they bring me here?_

_Harry felt tears began to sting his eyes. These were two people, loved by so many…and now he would never know what it was like to know them. To love them. He turned and ran from the cemetery. Sirius and Lupin called after him. Lupin started after the young boy but Sirius held him back._

_"He needs time." _

_Harry didn't know where he was going, just that he was. He wanted to escape death, to run away from the cemetery, and his parents, and all the things that had been put on his shoulders. He wanted to run from his life and be someone else. _

_And as he ran by the village, he wondered how so many people could just wander through life, not knowing magic, and be perfectly content. He wanted to be like them. He wished he could have been born a normal boy._

_They say magic can solve any problem…_

_But I think it just creates them._

_Before him, he noticed a house that no one else seemed to see. A house that was run down and falling apart. He knew this house. He didn't know how he knew, just that he did. _

_In this place…I'll find an answer._

_--------------------------_

It wasn't until after teat that they got the news that the train was stopping overnight to refuel.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked Fleur.

"Romania." Fleur answered promptly. "Somewhere in ze mountains. I asked ze conductor. We 'ave to be back on ze train by seven o'clock tomorrow morning. No wild parties tonight." She joked.

The train soon rolled to a stop at a train station. As they got out, the first thing Hermione noticed was how cold it was. When they got out of the small train station and into the village, they saw that there was snow everywhere. In fact, the village looked like some sort of Christmas greeting card, albeit without any Christmas decorations.

"Let's find the hotel before everyone else does." Hermione suggested as they stepped off the train with only a little luggage.

"This town is so…_small_." Draco looked down his nose at the little village in front of them.

"Draco, don't be a snob." Hermione shook her head.

"Wouldn't he cease to exist if he did that?" Zach muttered to the others.

"Let's hope." Ron joked back as they surged forward with the rest of the passengers, who were all eager not to have to sleep at the train stop.

"Holy St. Catchpole!" A voice exclaimed loudly behind Ron and Percy. Before they could turn around, they were both in headlocks. "What are the odds that my little brothers come to visit me? And you! Percy, thought you were a ghost!"

"Please…let…go…Charlie…" Ron choked out and Charlie Weasley let out a raucous laugh before releasing his two brothers.

"You could have just…shaken our hands or something." Percy straightened his glasses with an air of annoyance.

"Shake hands? What kind of brothers shake hands?" Charlie looked terribly affronted. "Especially with a brother we all thought was dead! It's great to see you, Perce!" He hugged his younger brother, knocking Percy's glasses askew again.

"I'm glad to see you too, but please don't call me Perce." Percy requested as Charlie released him. Charlie was broad shouldered and loud, which was pretty much the opposite of Percy. Everyone got along with Charlie.

"Same old Percy." Charlie grinned. "And what about you, Ron? Heard you were in France."

"I do not want to interrupt but we must book room sin ze hotel." Fleur finally wiggled into the conversation.

"Are you altogether?" Charlie looked at the group around him. "What's going on?"

"We should probably discuss it in a little more private place…" Susan hesitated.

"It's freezing out here. Where's the hotel, bellhop?" Draco asked.

"Bellhop?" Charlie tilted his head to one side before laughing. He slapped Draco so hard on the back that Draco nearly fell over. "Enough about this hotel—we've got a big house. We're stationed out here as part of the Order." Percy wondered if he should be talking about it so loudly. "Come on!"

He lead them tramping through the snow to one end of the town, where a large house stood. It had three stories, which was impressive in this place. They could see that there were warm fires lit inside and they were all glad to get out of the cold.

"Get inside, get inside!" Charlie held the door open for them. "Viktor! Oliver! We have company! My cute little brothers and their friends."

"I'm _not _cute." Ron protested.

"No one's arguing with you." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Ve are coming." An accented voice came from upstairs and in a moment, two young men came down the stairs. One was Oliver Wood, whom all the Hogwarts students remembered (except Hermione, who had to be reminded that he was captain of the Quidditch team.) and the other was a stocky man, who had a surly expression.

"I recognize some of these faces." Oliver grinned and waved. "Maybe we should have a Quidditch match…do we have fourteen people?" He began counting.

"You're short two." Charlie informed him. Oliver's face fell. "Besides the fact that we're terrible short on brooms. Let's see, I'm sure some introductions are in order." He glanced over at the group.

"I'm Ron Weasley." Ron volunteered.

"Percy Weasley." Percy looked at the person next to him.

"Fleur Delacour, charmed." Fleur batted her eyelashes prettily.

"Susan Bones." Susan nodded her head.

"Zacharias Smith." Zach glowered.

"Draco Malfoy." Draco said his name in a boastful tone, but soon looked sullen when no one looked impressed.

"Ernie Macmillan!" Ernie looked too excited to hold it in any longer. "And this is Harry Potter—_the_ Harry Potter."

"Um, hi." Harry looked embarrassed.

"Harry Potter?" The three mens' jaws dropped.

"Well, this _is _something!" Charlie blinked. "I'm Charlie, and this is Oliver Wood and this is Viktor Krum."

"The Bulgarian Quidditch star?" Ron looked as thrilled as Ernie did now.

"Former star. I vork for the Order now." Viktor wasn't looking at Ron though, he was peering curiously at someone who had gotten crowded into the back. "But you haff forgotten someone." He gestured to Hermione who looked a little surprised but Draco and Ron moved so that Hermione could move to the front.

"I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione felt dumb for being the back again but it hadn't been her fault. Viktor held out his hand, presumably to shake hers. She went to shake his hand but was surprised when he raised her hand to his face and kissed the back of her hand.

Susan saw Draco look like he was going to go off in a fit of rage and Ron actually stepped forward and pulled the stunned Hermione's hand away from Viktor.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, although she looked a little dazed.

"I just…don't think it's appropriate." Ron tried to defend his behavior as his face went beet red.

"Oh, I apologize." Viktor bowed his head. "This is your boyfriend?"

"No." Hermione shook her head.

"Just keep your hands to yourself!" Ron stepped in front of Hermione.

"He was just being polite, Ron." Hermione pulled Ron back.

"You're so naïve, Hermione." Ron turned on her. "You never had any boyfriends or anything. He's just trying to take advantage of you."

"What is Ron talking about?" Harry asked Percy in a low voice. Percy just shook his head uncomprehendingly.

"I'm not sure Ron knows." Fleur stifled a giggle.

"Oh, _I'm _naïve?" Hermione flared up. "Sorry I didn't consult you first, considering _your_ long history with men!"

"I…I…" Ron fought to say something.

"Now Viktor's started a fight." Charlie commented. "It's because he's such a playboy…" He winked at Viktor, who didn't notice because he was watching Ron and Hermione's fight.

"Did you hear that?" Ron gestured towards Charlie wildly. "A playboy!"

"I was joking." Charlie was trying really hard not to laugh at his youngest brother.

"If I haff offended—" Viktor tried.

"_Don't_ apologize. Ron's just being an idiot. All you did was say hello." Hermione said, looking at Ron the whole time, even though she seemed to be talking to Viktor.

"_Excuse me_."

Draco had his arms folded and was tapping his foot impatiently. "You." He pointed at Ron. "I don't like you and since Hermione and I are friends, we share similar tastes so I don't think she likes you either. And you," Draco now pointed to Viktor. "I can't believe you kissed her hand. That's just…so _provincial_."

"You…you're both…" Hermione was fuming. "You're both so stupid!" She shouted at Draco and Ron before stomping over to the front door and stomping out.

"She knows I'm right." Draco's face didn't show even a hint of remorse. "She'll be back when she realizes it."

"Insensitive boys!" Fleur flounced. "I will go talk to her!" She went out the front door after Hermione.

"The only thing that could this day better would be for the two of them to get into a fist fight." Zach indicated Ron and Draco.

"Zacharias!" Susan hit his upper arm. Then she went after the other two girls.

"You managed to run off all the girls." Charlie looked amused. "Viktor—you troublemaker."

"I…I…" Viktor stuttered, unable to get anything else out.

"That was certainly interesting." Oliver commented before turning to Charlie. "So, where'd you find all of them?"

"Train station." Charlie shrugged. "They were wandering around."

"We're actually on our way to Japan." Percy explained. "Your train is refueling for the night and then we'll be on our way."

"What's in Japan?" Charlie inquired.

"The secret weapon that—" Ernie began and Ron and Zach covered his mouth.

"Stop telling everyone." Zach told the blonde-haired boy.

"They're Order members though.' Percy pointed out. "We're looking for a secret weapon against Voldemort. It's hidden in Japan."

"That's pretty top notch stuff. We got stationed here—a sort of safe house—just in case. It's boring though." Charlie explained, looking a little curious. "Not supposed to do anything until Dumbledore sends word."

"Vhat are you complaining about?" Viktor glowered. "I am stuck in this house, haffing to listen to you two effery night…"

"Come on, Viktor…" Charlie looked sheepish and Oliver coughed.

"Huh?" Ron looked back and forth, looking clueless.

"Let's not stand around." Charlie turned to lead them into a large parlor. "Come inside, sit down, anyone ready for a cup of tea?"

"What about the girls?" Ernie asked.

"We are just fine." Fleur came in the front door, looking frostier than the air that suddenly filled the foyer.

"For goodness sakes, Susan!" Hermione came in after Fleur, closely followed by Susan. "You're mothering me."

"Sorry!" Susan apologized.

"Come sit down." Charlie waved them over. Soon they were all in the parlor. Hermione found herself sharing a loveseat with Draco, who was shooting smug looks at Ron. "I'll go start the tea."

"I'll help." Oliver volunteered. The two left the room.

"Now the tea vill never come." Viktor muttered darkly.

"Zey are…?" Fleur raised an eyebrow. "Ah. No wonder you were excited to see a pretty girl…"

"Delacour, please be referring to yourself. Hermione is _not _attractive." Draco was examining his nails before Hermione hit him with a pillow. "Ouch!"

"I don't understand." Ron still looked puzzled. "Why won't they be back?"

"Because they went off to make out in the kitchen." Zach announced bluntly. Ron's eyes went the size of saucers.

"That's…what?" Ron clearly didn't know what to make of it.

"It's okay, Ron." Harry patted his friend's shoulder. Draco shot Harry an odd look.

"Haff you visited Bulgaria before, Hermy-own?" Viktor asked.

"Oh!" Hermione blushed. "No."

Ron had called her naïve and she'd gotten mad but he was right. Given her very little social education at school, the idea that a boy was attracted to her was a little foreign. Not that Viktor was _attracted_ to her. That would be presumptuous. He was probably just being really polite.

"I vill show you my country someday." Viktor volunteered.

"Why would anyone want to go to Bulgaria? There's nothing to see there." Draco was lashing out in retaliation to getting hit with a pillow.

"And they have a lousy Quidditch team." Ron muttered darkly.

"A surprising turn in the love polygon! Now a mysterious foreigner may sweep Hermione off her feet! What will she do?" Ernie commentated.

"_There is no love polygon_!" Draco threw the pillow as hard as he could at Ernie, nailing the boy in the face with it. "Unless you're talking about those three."

"Isn't that technically a triangle?" Susan pointed out.

"Well, a polygon is any shape with more than two sides." Percy observed.

"You're all being ridiculous!" Hermione shook her head.

"Sorry." Susan ducked her head down.

"The only reason he's going after Hermione is because she's the only available girl." Draco explained. "Fleur's engaged and even after strict warnings, Bones and Smith are probably being romantic."

"Bones and Smith?" Ernie cocked his head to one side. "I haven't really noticed…"

"Can you _please _stop talking about me like I'm not right here?" Hermione asked in exasperation.

"Tea's ready." Charlie and Oliver came out with a few trays. "What are we discussing?"

"Japan." Fleur lied. "It's quite nice there."

"We've always wanted to visit Tokyo." Charlie joined in happily. "Maybe after the war…"

"We're going to Rumoi." Percy told him.

"Where?" Charlie blinked.

"So, next time you pass through here, you should bring brooms." Oliver told Harry. "I'd fancy a game against the famous Harry Potter."

"I've never really been good at flying." Harry shook her head sheepishly.

"He's a mean cricket player though." Ron put in loyally. "He never wants to learn Quidditch. Maybe after the war, I'll teach him to play."

"Maybe." Harry shrugged with a small half-smile. "Cricket's harder. No brooms to get you from one end of the field to the other."

"Quidditch is the greatest sport ever played!" Oliver argued. "Too bad though. You have the right build for a Seeker."

"Now they've got him going." Charlie moaned. "He hasn't gotten to talk about Quidditch in ages."

They all ended up talking, somewhat late into the night before Fleur reminded them they'd have to get up early for the train.

The next morning, they said good-bye to Oliver, Viktor, and Charlie. Another round of argument started when Viktor told Hermione he hoped she'd come visit him again. By the end of it, Fleur said something in French that sounded like she was telling everyone off. Then everyone got on the train and continued towards Japan.

--------------------

Woo! Yes, I'm done. Draco cracks me up. Zach is so blunt…Heehee. Poor Hermione. Believe it or not, the main focus wasn't supposed to be Hermione. I like writing Hermione, so it's easy for me to focus on her…I bet it shows. Ha, I'm just stalling for time in this story now…well, please review!


	15. Chapter 15

Last time they were in Romania, are they ever getting to Japan? I hope this story isn't dragging, there's important things I have to include in the story, for maximum awesome and unfortunately it means we can't rush from one big plot point to the next. Ah, Pobbin, it's so good to see your reviews again. Yes that was a typo. It made me laugh when I saw that because I accidentally wrote 'Bill' a thousand times while I was hand-writing the chapter and thought I had caught all of them. I'm not going to lie, all the Weasleys are in this story and I like Bill's storyline…maybe I'm too eager to write it. Okay, fans, let's get this show on the road.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Mild swearing, some violence.

----------------------

Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Fifteen

-----------------------

"I'm glad we're out of Romania." Ron commented and Hermione pursed her lips. Harry sucked air in through his teeth.

_Those two were getting along fine _before _we arrived in Romania…_

"Well, there's rumored to be a lot vampires in Romania." Hermione rearranged her cards while she said this. "It's probably a good idea we didn't stop there for too long."

"You're scared of vampires?" Draco scoffed from where he was sitting. Hermione had finally gotten him to stop skulking in his cabin and come play cards. Today it was just Ron, Hermione and Harry, so she figured he wouldn't be as overwhelmed. Percy was reading in the diner car with Fleur, who was dealing with a group of businessmen who were hitting on her. Percy nearly started laughing out loud when Fleur began arguing about economy, stocks, and other financial things with them, though she didn't quite have all the English equivalents. Susan was napping and Zach was watching over her. Hermione had to bite her tongue before she said anything about how Susan might get attacked by a random train assassin. Ernie was reading in that compartment as well, having found a few books of Japanese phrases and was determined to be a guide for them.

"They suck out your blood." Hermione stated. "So, yes, I'm not exactly inviting them over for tea."

"What, did your family pay off the vampires?" Harry asked Draco, grinning.

"They probably leave them alone because they don't have any blood." Ron was busy with his hand as well. "One two."

"Actually, you're both wrong." Draco looked distinctly annoyed. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a charm on a necklace. It was a square, glass thing, with weird symbols around it. Inside it was something dark red. "My mother made this for me while she was pregnant."

"What is it?" Hermione leaned forward to look at it, careful to hold her cards close to her chest because Ron was trying to look at them. "One three." She put a card face down.

"It's a Cognatus Charm." Draco explained, sleeping it back into his shirt. "It contains a drop of blood from a vampire. Since vampires need blood, it's a very powerful magical act when they willing give up a drop of their own. They can't attack me because of that magic.

"So, you wear blood around your neck?" Ron grimaced.

"In a very overly simplified and mundane way, yes." Draco shifted his cards. "One four."

"Bullshit." Harry sing-songed absent-mindedly while looking at his cards. Draco scowled and picked up all the cards in the middle.

"Harry, how did you get so good at this?" Ron joked.

"I've always been good at telling whether someone is lying." Harry shrugged. "Or when they're hiding something."

"Hiding something?" Draco raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Yeah." Harry looked him straight in the eye. "But the point of this game isn't to be the best liar, it's just to be unsuspicious _enough_. A liar usually doesn't draw attention to himself by calling his opponents liars. One five."

"Bullshit." Draco stuck out his chin angrily. Harry smiled calmly and turned his card over to reveal as the fire of diamonds.

"Also, it's best not to lie when you just explained how." Harry grinned again. Draco's eyes narrowed for a moment but then he smirked.

"If you had gone to school with the rest of us, you would have undoubtedly been a Slytherin." Draco declared.

"I always thought he'd be a Gryffindor." Ron commented argumentatively.

"Please, Weasley," Draco looked mildly offended with being questioned. "I just know these things."

----------------------

_In the musty house, Harry creaked along the old floorboards. The place was a mess. Squirrels and birds had made a home there because the windows were either open or broken and the door had been blown off its hinges, it lay in the parlor sitting room._

_There was dust everywhere and Harry picked his way carefully through it._

_What is this place?_

_It feels important…_

_Have I been here before?_

_His feet and some far away, distant ghost of a memory led him forward. Harry found a door that was partially open. His heart began to pound as he reached out towards the door._

_It's in here…it's in here…_

_Something happened…something…_

_He pushed it open and saw it was a nursery. No baby left to occupy it, no mother or father to take care of it. Empty, dusty. There was no glass in the windows here, it was on the ground. The crib was overturned. Harry took one more step and accidentally stepped on something._

_He bent down and picked it up. One the side facing him, carved into wood in beautiful letters was 'A Priori'. Harry turned it over._

_It was a mirror, He was looking at himself._

_"Harry!" Lupin was there. Harry whirled around, guiltily shoving the mirror into his jacket pocket. "You…shouldn't be here…"_

_"This is it, isn't it?" Harry questioned. "This is where it happened."_

_"It's where your parents did all they could to save you." Lupin looked away. "I hadn't meant for you to see this place. There's nothing here. Lily and James are in that cemetery, but they aren't in this house." _

_"What happened here?" Harry asked in a low voice. "They died and then…my magic died. Why didn't I die?"_

_"No one really knows why…" Lupin put a hand on his shoulder. Harry saw how sad Lupin looked, which is how he always looked. Even when he smiled, there was something sorrowful about it. Sirius once told him that Lupin was always treated by others as an outcast._

_An outcast._

_He can do magic but he's considered a freak._

_It hurts when others always give you sympathy, instead of just treating you like a person._

_Sometimes you want to scream and be nowhere near the people who know you…_

_I don't want you to feel like that._

_I won't treat you like that._

_In this place, where sadness lingers like a ghost, maybe there's a little bit of hope._

_Harry suddenly turned and hugged Lupin. Lupin dropped to his knees and hugged Harry back so tightly that it made Harry want to cry._

_This is what it feels like when you have family._

_There was a creak and Harry looked up over Lupin's shoulder to see Sirius standing there, leaning against the doorframe and smiling at them warmly. _

_We're a family…because no one else is here for us._

_------------------_

Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway to the dining car, or, just behind it. He carefully peaked around it, to study the three boys having tea. Ron and Percy he couldn't care les about. It was that Harry Potter he didn't trust. The green-eyed boy was laughing at something Ron had just said. Everyone seemed to like Potter just for existing.

"What are you doing?" Hermione's voice made Draco jump a foot in the air.

Draco turned and shushed her. "Nothing."

"Then why are you spying on…" Hermione rocked on her heels to look around the corner. "Harry, Ron, and Percy?" Draco pulled her back down the train car, away from the dining car.

"Look, I think there's something suspicious about Potter." Draco told her.

"Like what?" Hermione was giving him a weird look.

"I don't know." Draco looked annoyed. "It's just this feeling I get. Why was he in France?"

"Dumbledore put him there." Hermione answered. "To keep him safe."

"But you told me that Potter's magic is a lot stronger than ours." Draco rubbed his chin. "Why does Dumbledore want to keep him hidden? Potter could take care of himself…he defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby…and he's just suspicious. Have you noticed that he spends most of time with Weasley?"

"They're…friends." Hermione pointed out slowly. Something was really wrong with Draco. He was acting weird. Weirder than usual. "Someone might say _you're _suspicious because you spend most of your time with me."

"We're friends." Draco gave her a very small half-smile. "Although I'm a little disappointed. Don't you have _any _questions about Potter?"

"Of course I do." Hermione looked a little irritated. "But sometimes I think Harry feels…I don't know, like a freak. Here he is, with all this magic and he can't really do anything with it. Have you noticed he gets uncomfortable when the conversation is about magic? He probably feels like he doesn't belong, he didn't even get to go to Hogwarts."

"Like us?" Draco suddenly asked.

"We went to Hogwarts." Hermione didn't quite latch onto what Draco was asking.

"No, I mean," Draco looked around to reaffirm it was just them. "He doesn't belong."

"What are you talking about? If I remember correctly, everywhere you went in school there were four or five Slytherins following you." Hermione almost laughed at him.

"I am _trying_ to make an effort here." Draco crossed his arms defensively. "You really need to learn to think of other people."

"Yeah, remind me to take lessons on selflessness from you." Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go have tea with them. Do you want to come with me or continue to admire Harry from afar?"

"_What_?" Draco squawked. "No, never mind. You go have tea, I'm going to go take a nap."

Hermione bit back a comment about him sorely needing one.

_What's with him lately?  
_

_Oh well. At least he hasn't turned into the nap queen._

Susan was spending a lot of time sleeping. She said it was the rocking motion of the train that lulled her to sleep but Hermione remember when Susan fainted.

_What if she really _is _sick_?

_I think this trip is hard on all of us. What's happening in Britain? How do we know what's going to be waiting for us when we get back?  
_

-----------------------

Ernie Macmillan glanced over at the sleeping Susan Bones. She'd been listening to him talk about Japanese etiquette and then she'd just drifted off. Ernie had been called boring and other variants before, mostly by Zach, but he didn't think he was really _that _bad.

_What's boring about an Order member who protects the last member of an old wizarding family _and _is on a mission with Harry Potter?_

Ernie continued to read through his Japanese guidebook. The compartment door slid open and Zach came in with food from the dining car.

He grunted to show he acknowledged Ernie's presence before opening a bag of potato chips and sitting down.

"Hey Zach, did you know—" Ernie began brightly.

"If this has anything to do with Japan, no I don't and I don't want to know anyways." Zach interrupted him.

"You're so negative. We should go visit one of the ancient shrines while we're there. This guidebook says they soothe the spirit." Ernie waived his guidebook knowingly. "You know, you'd probably benefit from some lessons in Buddhism. Good thing we're going to its birthplace."

"Japan isn't the birthplace of Buddhism." Zach corrected him.

"_Zen _Buddhism." Ernie reiterated.

"Try China." Zach told him, shaking his head.

"How do you know?" Ernie blinked.

"Because you aren't the first person who's ever suggested I should join a religion." Zach looked out the window.

"Well, okay, so they didn't _invent _it." Ernie tried to make his mistake seem insignificant. "But I hear they're quite good at it."

Zach stared at him for a moment.

"Has anyone ever told you how undeniably British you are?" Zach finally asked.

"No." Ernie shook his head. "Why?"

"Never mind." Zach waved his hand dismissively. The train continued on, getting ever closer to the coast.

---------------------

"I 'ave never been so glad to be off a train in my life." Fleur declared looking distinctly ruffled. "Even ze time I took ze train from New York to Los Angeles…"

"Just think of how bad it'll be on the way back." Ernie stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Don't remind me." Susan waved her hand as though warding the thought off. She looked like she had just woken up and probably had. "I felt like a cat, I was so sleepy on that train…"

"Hermione, my bag is heavy." Draco's tone was very expectant.

"You are _so _lazy." Hermione pulled out her wand and did the spell to make it feather light. "Do you want me to do yours too, Harry?" Harry nearly tripped over his suitcase.

"Oh, um, sure, thanks." Harry looked embarrassed.

"There are Muggles around." Percy's voice was very stern.

"They're too busy with their luggage." Hermione's wand was quickly tucked away. "How are we getting to the boat?"

"We'll need a few cabs." Fleur looked around. "I will be right back." Fleur walked briskly away from them.

"How does she know where to go?" Percy questioned.

"She's used to traveling." Draco scoffed. "For someone like you, a tourist, it's probably very hard to understand but those of us with money know exactly what to do. For instance, I'll I have to do is walk into a bank and demand to speak with the manager. I'd have money from my father's account in an instant."

"So, being a world traveler means knowing who to throw a tantrum in front of?" Zach guessed, giving Malfoy a nasty look.

"It's not a tantrum if you're a Malfoy." Draco maintained

"Who is throwing a tantrum?" Fleur rejoined them. "I've got ze cabs waiting. Is zat alright, darling?" Fleur suddenly wrapped her arms around Ron and began nuzzling his neck. Ron's eyes were the size of saucers and the color drained from his face.

"W-what's going on?" Hermione got out, looking she was about to erupt.

"No, Fleur," Ron pushed Fleur away. "You know I'm with Hermione now." And then he pulled Hermione into his arms and Hermione looked just as stunned as Ron had a moment ago.

"Look." Ron whispered. "Fleur says there's someone following us; she thinks it's a Death Eater. She doesn't want him to think we know, so try to get the message to the others." Then he let her go. Hermione looked at the others who were all staring at Ron, Fleur, and Hermione as though they had sprouted three heads a piece.

"But…but Ron!" Hermione has a sudden burst of inspiration. "I've been seeing Draco behind your back!" And she brought herself to hug Draco who looked faintly nauseated. "Draco, shut up, don't say anything stupid, we're being followed by a Death Eater!" She hissed in his ear.

"It's too late for that now, Granger." Hermione hurriedly got away from him. They shared a look that clearly said how unfortunate it had been for both parties. "You see, even though she's a lowly Hufflepuff and not really fit for a Malfoy, my love for Susan is too strong." Malfoy actually kissed Susan before pulling away from a stunned Susan and smirking at Zacharias Smith who looked like he was going to beat Draco bloody.

That was until Susan fainted, falling backwards, grabbing both Ernie and Zach to catch her. As both boys were helping her up, Zach nodded a little, showing Susan was quietly telling both boys.

"Harry! You look faint too!" Ernie was at Harry's side, feeling his forehead. "Can I get you something? Let me examine you!" And he made a rather ridiculous show of seeing whether Harry was okay while Harry _obviously _learned about the Death Eater.

When he finished, Harry suddenly turned to Percy. "Ah, Percy, can I look at your guidebook?"

"Ze cabs are waiting…" Fleur beckoned them and they all began following her, though Hermione peaked over her should to see that Harry was obviously telling Percy while pointing at random to things in Percy's guidebook.

They all rather nervously left, all of them trying not to look around to see the Death Eater following them. Hermione couldn't figure out how the Death Eaters even knew where they were.

_It's like…someone's telling them. _

She glanced over at Draco, who was looking straight ahead and didn't notice her.

_Is Draco…a spy?  
_

"We need to lose him." Susan voiced quietly to Fleur.

"I 'ave an idea." Fleur whispered back. When they got to the cabs, everyone began getting in and know one could figure out what the plan was until the last door shut and Hermione saw that Fleur was still standing on the sidewalk. She hit the side of the second cab and the driver pulled away from the curb.

"Wait!" Hermione protested. "What's Fleur doing?"

The other cab was right behind them and it was clear that the people in the second cab also recognized that Fleur was still on the sidewalk. She whirled around and the driver wouldn't stop.

"I've got my instructions." The driver spoke perfect English and couldn't be persuaded to stop.

"She can't just…" Susan looked like she was near tears. "Just like Hannah…"

"Delacour's not like that." Malfoy looked strangely calm. "She's not going to get herself killed. She said she had a plan. Part of the plan is undoubtedly to live."

"She's going up against a Death Eater!" Hermione started to fumble for her wand but Draco grabbed her wrist.

"What are you going to do?" Draco hissed quietly at her. "Use magic in front of a bunch of Muggles? Are you going to go back and save her? She sent us away because we'd distract her! I guarantee she'll be at the boat!"

"You don't know that for sure!" Hermione ripped her arm away from him.

"Just trust me!" Draco insisted. Hermione couldn't think of anything to say to that but she couldn't get the driver to stop without using magic. Was another friend going to die in the search for the weapon that could destroy Voldemort?

When they got to the docks, the cars finally stopped and everyone got out of them quickly, getting to their luggage while trying to discuss what to do.

"We've got to go back for her!" Ron insisted. "Fleur's a pretty good witch, but she'd be a sitting duck against a Death Eater!"

"I agree." Percy nodded. "However, we run into the difficulty that we don't know where she is. She was at the train station when we left but Fleur might have left that area to draw him away from all those Muggles."

"We'd have pretty good odds against a Death Eater. I mean, all of us together. Plus, we've got Harry Potter." Ernie pointed out.

"That's not a bad point." Hermione agreed. "We'll just have to try and look for her."

"Zat is nonsense, you would miss your boat." Fleur's voice caused them all to turn around. She looked a little disheveled but she hadn't been hurt. "I 'ave taken care of 'im."

"What did you do?" Susan questioned her as the others gathered around.

"It is very silly…" Fleur hesitated. "I did…what is ze name in English? _Petrificus totalus._"

"You did a Full Body Bind on a Death Eater?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"It seemed like a good idea at ze time." Fleur shrugged.

"What did you go and do that for?" Ron suddenly went off on Fleur. "I thought you'd left us to sacrifice yourself!"

"Oh, Ronald, were you worried about me?" Fleur smiled and patted his arm. "I'm sorry…"

"Ron's right, next time you need to consult us before trying something like that. As the only Ministry official—" Percy began but was cut off when Fleur sidled up to him.

"And you were worried as well?" Fleur smiled slyly. "I zink you worry too much." And she kissed him on the cheek. Percy went bright red in the face.

"Anyways," Harry cleared his throat loudly. "Shouldn't we get on the ship?"

"Yeah, we've wasted enough time just standing here." Draco looked peeved for some reason that Hermione couldn't even began to fathom.

"We're almost there…" Ernie pointed out. "In Rumoi…we're going to find it. June-bye dee-kie-tah?"

Everyone just stared at him for a few moments.

"It's in my guide book. It means, 'Ready?'." Ernie beamed.

"Do you mean _junbi dekita?_" Fleur spoke with flawless pronunciation. Several of them were trying to smother their snickering at Ernie's dismayed expression.

"Er, yeah."

With that, they boarded their ship.

-------------------------

I don't know if I made it obvious, but Fleur's already chartered a bunch of this stuff, so must of it was all in place for when they arrived, just in case anyone didn't make that connection. (I realized that I cut a couple of lines from the original where she somewhat overly explained it…first drafts are weird.) I want everyone to know that the scene where they're trying to warn everyone was really impromptu. I was like, "How they going to tell each other without looking overly suspicious?" Of course they probably looked rather ridiculous if anyone had been paying attention to them at the train station…they're finally going to be in Japan! Just in case you don't speak Japanese and the joke was lost on you, Ernie pronounced it _horridly_. Well, please review! Love to hear from my peeps!


	16. Chapter 16

What's up, sweet cakes? So…no one's reviewed the last chapter…I guess I understand. It's okay, because we're back with a brand new chapter! A better chapter! A SUPER CHAPTER! Okay, not really. See what happens when no one reviews? I have to try and putter through some author notes. JAPAN! I'm done, let's get this over with.

Disclaimer: I most certainly do not own Harry Potter!

Warnings: Umeboshi, Ernie using chopsticks, mild swearing.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Sixteen

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"A real bed." Hermione fell over, hugging the bed. "Thank god."

"I'm a little surprised. I thought Japanese people slept on the floor." Susan speculated as she put her bags down. "Well, not _on _the floor…you know…"

"Zis is a Western-style hotel." Fleur explained with a wave of her hand. She wasn't sleeping in their bedroom, but she'd come in to chat with them while everyone else was putting down their stuff. Another argument had broken out over who was sleeping in which room. Susan and Hermione went into one of the rooms and locked the door, officially declaring themselves not part of the argument.

(Zach personally felt there was some kind of conspiracy going on to keep him and Susan from sleeping in the same room. He had no idea who was behind it, but since he was rooming with Ernie, he simply went with it.)

Fleur was sharing with Draco, which Percy protested to, saying that Fleur ought to room with Susan and Hermione, because he didn't feel it was appropriate for them to be sharing a room. Draco told him that there wouldn't be any problems, so Percy shut up, but rather primly took up residency in Harry and Ron's room.

"I'm starving." Susan tugged on her long sleeves. "Can we eat soon? I have no idea where we're supposed to start with the second clue! There was debate over which you meant, banzai or bonsai…like the trees."

"Ze trees." Fleur sniffed. "It is difficult to hear ze difference when you aren't used to ze language."

"Where did you learn Japanese?" Hermione asked interested.

"Ze Delacours do business around ze world." Fleur waived her hand dismissively. "Japan is a great market. Mother required it. I've already taken care of dinner. It will be in ze restaurant across the street. Zey are preparing for us since we are a large party."

"Oh, good." Susan looked relieved.

After everyone unpacked, showered, and got dressed, they walked across the street. When they were all seated at a huge table with Fleur seated at the head of it, they had dishes set out in front of them.

"It-a-daw-key-mass-you." Ernie beamed.

Susan was eating so enthusiastically that she looked like she was in a contest with Ron. She seemed quite partial to a bowl of little red things that Hermione couldn't identify.

"These are so good!" Susan couldn't stop fishing out more and more from the bowl. "Try one!"

"Okay." Hermione fished one out and stuck it in her mouth.

It tasted awful.

"What is this?" Ron'd tried it too, because he was quite partial to food as a whole. He'd spit his into his napkin.

"Zat's umeboshi." Fleur educated them. "It is pickled plum."

"It tastes like pickled feet." Ron told the others. Susan's enthusiasm for it couldn't be quelled and she quickly just moved the bowl in front of her so she could sit there and eat them. Zach was making a rather disgusted face at her.

Ernie wasn't enjoying dinner as he wanted to because he couldn't use chopsticks to save his life. He finally lost one in a huge bowl of soup and had to ask the waitress for a fork.

"Where are we going to start?" Percy asked the others.

"Well, if it is trees, we should find out about bonsai in this area." Hermione suggested. "We could go to the library…although…I don't read Japanese…"

"I could help." Fleur offered. "We could get a translator too…"

"There's got to be shops and stuff." Susan's mouth was full of umeboshi, so it was a little hard to understand her, but this is what they all assumed she meant.

"Why would a bunch of tree trimmers be hiding the secret weapon?" Draco posed the question.

"Because it's not very obvious." Hermione pointed out. "I mean, he's not going to leave it somewhere where everyone would expect. He didn't give it to Harry."

Harry began choking on a spicy tuna roll he'd just put in his mouth.

"Oh great, now the Boy Who Lived is dying." Draco rolled his eyes. "If that's some kind of omen, I'm going to go find some Death Eaters right now and join the cause."

"Knock it off." Hermione poked Draco hard in the side with her chopsticks. Percy hit Harry hard on the back and after a few minutes, Harry was fine and went back to eating.

"I can't believe we're so close." Ernie stabbed a piece of sashimi with his fork. "And then we'll finally be able to go back to England…" He looked at the piece of food he'd just speared. "Where they cook food."

"They cook food here too." Susan pointed out. "We're out of umeboshi."

Harry felt strangely quiet during the meal. He didn't speak up or make as many jokes as usual. Hermione noticed that he looked preoccupied with something but she wasn't sure what. Harry put down his chopsticks and stared at his hands.

_We're so close…_

_But what's going to happen to me? _

_I'm worried…when the others find out…_

_What will they think of me? _

----------------------------

_The mirror._

_He thought he'd just taken a plain old mirror, but it didn't turn out that way at all. He liked to just stare at the mirror, but it only reflected a plain young man with dark hair and green eyes. A scar on his forehead, where the curse had touched him. _

_And then one day, he longed to see something else. He thought of the mirror being in his home, his real home. Did his mother use it? Did his father? Did they look at themselves and realize they were going to die? _

_Is this the face of a dead person?_

_As he began to focus his thoughts on his mother, the mirror's image began to blur and there was his mother's face. _

_She was smiling but she didn't blink or anything. Just a reflection of the past. But she looked so real. Harry went to touch her face but his hands only touched smooth, cold glass. _

_"Mom." He breathed; his face so close to the glass that his nose was almost brushing up against it. "Mom." _

_But it wasn't real. She couldn't really be there. Just her reflection. In a few days, he found he could also get his father to come up in the mirror, but no one else. He didn't dare show it to Lupin or Sirius. They wouldn't understand. _

_Would they? _

_Of course, he felt like he could spend all day with the mirror. He didn't feel hungry and he was losing sleep, because he spent all night just looking at his parents' faces. These were the people who'd left him behind. _

_I wish I was there…_

_With you…_

_What is it like to be dead?_

_Is it peaceful? Were you scared to go? Do you miss me? _

_I want to go too…what's left for me? _

_A Squib. I'm a Squib. Do you think you'd accept me? _

_I don't want anymore sad looks. You always look so happy…_

_Of course Harry didn't know that his life was about to change. That Lupin was bringing him to meet an old man, whose name was Albus Dumbledore. Harry didn't know how much his life would change that day…_

-----------------------

"My feet hurt." Draco complained.

"I don't care." Hermione snapped at him.

"Zis looks like ze place." Fleur looked up from her map and pointed to a shop, that indeed seemed to be selling not only bonsai trees, but supplies for the hobby. When asking around, most of the residents seemed to agree that this was the place to go.

They'd split into teams and decided to meet up at the hotel at the end of the day with their findings. Once inside the store, they looked around for a brief moment before noticing the old man behind the counter. Fleur immediately approached him with a brilliant smile.

"Konnichiwa." Fleur bowed.

"Oh, hello." A young man came out from the back, looking very interested in the pretty girl standing there with her inquiry. "He doesn't speak English very well."

"You speak English?" Fleur turned towards him. "My Japanese is a little limited…"

"I can help you. What do you need?" The young man asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"Well, I'm interested in bonsai…" Fleur trailed off. "But I'm afraid I do not know very much…"

"I can tell you anything you need to know." The young man beamed. "Although it might take awhile…if you wanted, we could go across the street, there's a really good café that we could talk at."

"Perhaps another time. I am with my friends." Fleur gestured towards Hermione and Draco. "I did not expect to find very many young men interested in bonsai…"

"Most people think it's for old people, but there's a lot of young people into it nowadays." The young man gestured around. "In fact, last year, when we had a bonsai exhibition, the person was a young man."

"Was he?" Fleur batted her eyelashes. "Does zis young man live in Rumoi?"

"Oh yeah, Neville-kun owns an inn here." The young man nodded.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Hermione interrupted the conversation.

"Neville-kun owns an inn here?" The young man blinked.

"Neville…Longbottom?" Hermione could barely contain her excitement.

"Yes." The young man looked a little disturbed.

"Thanks, we've got to go now!" Hermione grabbed Fleur and Draco's arm and rushed them outside the shop. "That's where we have to go! We have to find Neville!"

"Neville?" Fleur seemed confused.

"Longbottom…wasn't he the chubby kid?" Draco seemed to be trying to recall.

"He was really nice." Hermione defended at once. Neville Longbottom had gone to Hogwarts with them. She remembered he was never really that good in any of the classes except Herbology. He was the only person who she would have referred to as a friend; even though she was pretty sure he'd only tried to make friends with her because they were both friendless…

"You know zis Neville?" Fleur seemed to be catching on. "And he doesn't live here normally, I assume?"

"Correct. There wouldn't be any reason in the world for Neville to live in Rumoi, unless he was part of the Order and someone placed him here." Hermione informed them. "He can lead us to the weapon."

"We must return to ze hotel zen." Fleur spoke urgently. "And wait for ze others."

"And then…we'll go to Neville's inn." Hermione declared.

"I can't believe the chubby kid has the weapon." Draco muttered. "Why aren't there any other Slytherins?"

"Maybe because most of you have Death Eaters in your family." Hermione suggested.

"Guilty by association." Draco frowned. "That's not very nice."

"Neither is referring to Neville as 'the chubby kid'." Hermione argued.

"Zere's no time for bickering." Fleur looked very unpleased with their behavior. The three of them went back to the hotel, to wait for the others, so they could tell them the good news.

------------------------

Oh man, next time! Next time stuff happens. A lot of stuff. I wouldn't miss it if I was you. But I were you, I'd review. Come on guys, please? Just one?


	17. Chapter 17

YES!!! We're moving along at a good pace now. I need to learn that it's okay to like…skip to when they're at their destination. But I needed those chapters. Character transitory stuff…I got complimented on Fleur's speaking though! Thanks Pobbin! I try really hard but I'm always second guessing myself about it! I think her English would be better because she probably practiced a lot with Ron and Harry in this fanfic before the others even visited her…so yeah. Percy though, one person pointed out he'd gotten a little two-dimensional…sorry. Mostly in the group setting, he falls back into bad habits. However, I try to take time to focus on people individually but other times I'm like, "No time! Seriously, move the plot forward!" I can sit there and write chapter after chapter of what's going through the other characters head…

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Some mild swearing and stuff. AWESOME STUFF!

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Seventeen

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They stood in front of the inn, a small, four story affair, which looked rather well taken care of and anyone could see the charm of looking after such a place. There was a garden out front that looked like it wrapped around to the back of the inn. There were a couple of bonsai on display, but nothing else of note.

"It could be in there." Hermione pointed out. "The weapon, I mean. Or else Neville knows where it is."

"Or Neville has another clue." Zach looked quite sour at the thought. "Honestly, one more and I give up. Voldemort can rule the world."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Susan looked very weary again and didn't even both pushing some strands of hair that had fallen in her face away.

"How long are we planning on standing here?" Draco rolled his eyes.

They approached the door and Hermione was the one who bravely knocked. A voice called out to them that it was coming, though it said it in Japanese so everyone but Fleur just looked confused.

The door slid open and there stood Neville Longbottom.

He was taller than Hermione remembered but he still looked cheerful and good-natured. He surveyed her for a moment before gasping.

"Hermione Granger!" Neville looked excited. "Oh, wow! Come in!" Then he noticed the others. "Look at all these people! Zacharias Smith! Ernie!" Ernie cheerfully waved. "Susan Bones…Percy Weasley and Ron Weasley…Malfoy…" Neville looked distinctly nervous. "What's going on?"

"Look, Neville," Hermione cleared her throat. "I know this looks really odd, but we need to come inside. Dumbledore sent us on a mission and we have to get the secret weapon and that tall girl in the back, that's Fleur Delacour, she's really nice, and yes, that's Harry Potter but we don't want to tell you the whole story out here so can we come inside?"

"Yeah. Of course." Neville blinked. He moved out of their way and they all filed in. They followed him into a dining room where a large table was set out, presumably for any guests at the inn. He insisted in pouring them all green tea before they said anything. Ernie made a face and whispered quite loudly that it was hardly what he would call tea as he predicted it would taste worse with sugar and milk. Zach didn't seem to like it either. Draco disdainfully pushed his away. Hermione didn't mind the taste really. Susan had to have a second cup of tea poured for her because she drank hers while Neville was pouring for the others. "Okay, now, can you start from the beginning?"

"Maybe I should start?" Susan spoke up. She was looking much less tired now. "You see, I was in hiding for a while with Ernie and Zach. Percy here came along one day, we had a signal that we were a safe house. Dumbledore gave me the first clue but didn't tell me how to solve it. He said the clues led to the secret weapon. There was an attack close by and Hannah came to tell us to get away and to go find the secret weapon—the key to defeating Voldemort. We thought we solved the clue at one point…but we got it wrong…"

"That's when they broke into Malfoy Manor." Hermione took over. "I was working there as a servant because they captured me. They snapped my wand in two because I'm Muggle-born and I was taken there. I met Justin Finch-Fletchley, but he was taken away…" She glanced at Draco, who seemed to be very interested in the ceiling all of a sudden. "One night, I was trying to trick Draco into showing me how to get out of the Manor when we stumbled on Zach, Percy, and Ernie. They told us what they were looking for and then we all left. That's when Draco gave me back my wand—it was fixed you see. We looked at the clue and solved it."

"Then they showed up at Fleur's place and met me and Harry." Ron jabbed a thumb at Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter?" Neville looked mildly surprised. Harry nodded his head jerkily. "My gran used to say that you were a hero." He saw the question in Hermione's expression. "She was killed in my seventh year…"

"Ze second clue told us to come 'ere." Fleur continued the story. "And zen we 'ad to find out about ze second clue, which was 'bonsai'. In a bonsai shop, someone said your name and Hermione realized we 'ad to find you."

"And now you want the weapon." Neville looked strangely sad. "The one that can help defeat the Dark Lord…"

"What's wrong?" Hermione inquired.

"You have it…right?" Percy tried to recall what he could about Neville. If he remembered correctly, although he'd always been a well-intentioned person, he was rather clumsy and forgetful. But no one was that forgetful, right?

"Of course." Neville blinked several times. "It's pretty hard to lose something like that, right? Not like Trevor…oh, where is Trevor?" He looked around. "He must be around here somewhere…"

"Where is it?" Zach interrupted Neville's search.

"Listen…" Neville looked at them, giving them a very serious look. "It's not just a weapon. Promise you'll remember that?"

"Yes." Ernie nodded eagerly. "We'll be careful, honest. Look, we've got Harry Potter with us; it's intended for him, isn't it?" Neville glanced over at Harry who looked strangely pale.

"Alright." Neville sighed. "It's on the third floor, first room on the left. Please…be very quiet on the stairs…don't disturb the guests."

They all rather eagerly got up but they very carefully tiptoed up the stairs. (Although not as quietly as they could have. Ernie was so excited that he was practically shoving the people in front of him.) Hermione's heart was beating really hard and she wasn't sure why. Everyone looked both thrilled and a little terrified.

_What can defeat Voldemort? _

_What's going to be there when we open the doors? _

_Why do I feel like something's about to happen? _

----------------------

_Harry just wanted to go home and be with his mirror for a little longer. Why shouldn't he spend all day with it? It was like magic. Magic that he could do. What was wrong with that? _

_It was an old man, he'd seen him before. He was so ancient looking that Harry felt a little intimidated. He had a pair of spectacles perched on his nose and he had a long beard and long white hair. He was wearing a wizard hat and Harry wondered what he would have done if he couldn't do magic…_

_Can magic change what a person becomes? _

_"Hello, Harry." Albus Dumbledore greeted him, gesturing towards a chair. Dumbledore was sitting behind a desk and Harry rather shyly took a seat. "I've been wanting to speak with you for some time…"_

_"About what?" Harry couldn't imagine why anyone would want to meet him. _

_"About you." Dumbledore smiled. "How are you?"_

_"I'm fine." Harry wanted this to end soon. He felt uncomfortable. _

_"You look anxious. I hope I'm not keeping you from anything." Dumbledore commented politely. "You'll have to forgive an old man…we tend to think of our business as the most important kind…"_

_"No, it's fine." Harry felt bad and folded his hands in his lap. _

_"I want to speak to you about the night your parents died." Dumbledore disclosed. "I know you don't remember anything. I wish I could explain what happened that night to you. Do you know what the killing curse is?"_

_"Avada Kedavra." Harry spoke numbly. "Lupin told me."_

_"That's good. It was performed on you when you were just a baby…" Dumbledore trailed off. "No one's sure how it happened, but I suspect that when your mother, Lily, whom I knew very well, tried to protect you from Voldemort, she left traces of magical protection around you…to keep you safe…" _

_"And that saved me?" Harry thought of the kind face of his mother that he'd seen before. She had died for him? And saved him? _

_A worthless Squib…_

_"That was the night you lost your magic." Dumbledore looked far away. "It is my belief that while there was some magical protection, it wasn't quite enough…death is the ultimate force. The devourer of all things. Somehow, and I honestly wish it was easier to explain, your magic saved you…but it burnt out. You have no more magic. I don't know if you'll ever be able to perform a spell…I doubt it though. Unfortunately, you were left a Squib…"_

_"Oh." Harry wondered if that light in Dumbledore's eyes was disappointment. He hung his head. He was nothing without magic. _

_"However…" Dumbledore began, noticing the tragic expression of the young boy. "There's magic in this world that no wizard could perform. To love someone, there is a kind of magic to it. To hate. To feel. To inspire emotions in others…all magic that no spell can achieve. At least, not real emotion. We can make artificial ones…but it's never strong as the real thing. To forget this kind of magic…it would be a mistake."_

_Harry stared at the old man. Was there magic he could do?_

_"I hear from Lupin that you've been spending more and more time with yourself." Dumbledore commented. "Being solitary can be good for the soul but not bonding with those around you…that can be quite harmful. Remember there is a world around you, a world waiting for you. It's important for you to embrace it. Do you know why, Harry?"_

_"No." Harry didn't quite understand any of this. _

_"Because you'll inspire hope wherever you go." Dumbledore told him. "You'll think it's not possible without magic, but it's true. Others will see you as a symbol. It will feel like the heaviest burden a man can bear but there's no way to change the way others will see you. You defeated Voldemort and released the world from tyranny. You'll find that most things are as magical as you believe they are…you believe you have no magic, but others will see you as the most magical of all…You'll inspire." _

_Inspire? _

_Me?_

_I can't do anything like that. I'm not a hero. I'm not a wizard. I'm no one at all. I'm Harry. Just Harry. _

_If anyone ever believes anything more…than I'll have to tell them the truth. I can't lie. Even if it's for my own good, I still won't lie. I won't let others believe in me. I can't save them. I can't. _

_But then…what if I can't? What if they meet me and already believe in me? Can I take it all away? Take away the magic? My name isn't a spell or an enchantment. If you whisper it, it doesn't mean anything special. It's just a name. _

_What will I do? _

_Will anyone understand? _

_I can't decide…_

_If I can inspire, if I can do that kind of magic…maybe…maybe it would make up for the magic I can't do. _

_I don't want to lose myself. I'll drown in other people's belief if I'm not careful. _

------------------------

Ron was the one who got to the door first and slid it open quickly. They all surged into the room at once but every one of them finally saw what was waiting for them and stopped dead in their tracks.

It wasn't an extraordinary sight by any stretch of the imagination.

A young man was sitting on the floor, his legs under a blanket that surrounded a table. He'd been watching T.V. with a detached sort of interest but was now staring at them with wide eyes. But none of this had stopped them. It was his face. His green eyes. His dark hair. His scar.

They all slowly turned to look behind them and saw his exact double standing there, with an almost embarrassed little grin on his face.

"Wotcher, Harry."

--------------------------

I have been planning that cliff hanger since forever. Angry? Sputtering? More confused than ever? Need the next chapter IMMEDIATELY? Please review…


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry about that cliffhanger. Do you know how hard it is to keep stuff like a secret? I was like bursting this whole time and I thought I had given away the game several times before that. Oh well. It's time to move on from the big surprise and have some explanation.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warning: Stuff. Sad.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Eighteen

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_He was taken from Sirius and Lupin. _

_No, not taken. He'd nodded when they explained that Dumbledore wanted to put him somewhere safe and hidden from Voldemort—whom he suspected would rise to power again, because of all the signs. There'd be one person whom Voldemort would want to kill above all others and that was Harry. Harry had no way to protect himself as he had no magic._

_Lupin made him a green scarf. _

_"I think you'll be surprised how cold it gets in Japan." He smiled. "You'll like it there."_

_"Why can't you and Sirius come too?" Harry asked as he wrapped it around his neck. _

_Lupin's eyes were suddenly shadowed. "We're needed here. We'll miss you, Harry. You'll be back soon and then we can all meet up again."_

_Sirius gave him a penknife that cut through almost anything. _

_"It's magic." Sirius winked at him. _

_Before long though, Dumbledore came to the house and took him away. It was a very long plane ride. Harry remembered sitting there, looking out the window, looking at how small the whole world looked and thinking that among those people were people who just lived life, every day being a new adventure. He thought he'd like to live like that but here he was, a Squib. _

_I wish I didn't know anything about magic._

_I wish I could lose my memory. All the wizards and witches look at me the same way when they know. _

_Harry decided he hated wizards—other than Sirius and Lupin, who did the best they could. He knew that they wanted to comfort him but they didn't know how and he was sure no one really could. _

_When he got to Japan, he was taken to an inn and given a room. Right before Dumbledore left, he produced a copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. _

_"I think you'll find that all these stories are good ones." Dumbledore smiled. "You see, William Shakespeare wasn't a wizard, but the magic he used was the magic of words. It isn't all spells and potions…magic is anything extraordinary in the eyes of others." _

_He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with it so he put it on a shelf and ignored it. Dumbledore was gone now and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted, although he was told not to wander too far off—especially since he didn't speak a word of Japanese. _

_Then something strange happened. _

_A girl moved in next door to his room and came crashing in one evening. She was tall and skinny and had short, wild blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale, heart-shaped face. _

_"Wotcher, Harry!" She greeted him. "Name's Tonks—actually my name is really Nymphadora but don't ever call me that and I'll curse your ears off." _

_"Hullo." Harry greeted her. She was rather cheerful and seemed to think nothing of sitting at Harry's table with him. _

_"Anyways, here to learn all about you." Tonks looked as though she was trying to take in the room. _

_"Why?" Harry cocked his head to one side curiously. _

_She screwed her face up for a moment, thinking rather hard, and then with a faint popping noise he reeled back, because his exact double was sitting across the table from him. _

_"I'm a Metamorphamagus." Tonks laughed—in her own voice. "I can change my appearance at will. Dumbledore decided it would be a good idea if you had a double but I can only stay for the summer, see, because then I have to start auror training." _

_Harry hadn't ever heard of an auror and when he told her so, Tonks began excitedly telling him about all about it and how she wanted to be a Dark wizard catcher. _

_At first he thought he wouldn't like Tonks because she was a witch herself but he found that Tonks was the kind of person you couldn't help but like. She made everything sound fun, even waking up or walking to the store for a pork-filled bun. _

_He was so cheered up by her that he read all of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. He really liked all the stories, but his favorites were Macbeth and The Tempest. _

_When Tonks had to leave, Harry wished she could stay longer but she promised him that they'd probably meet up again soon. He wondered how many people were going to say that to him? He found things to occupy his time. He learned Japanese, he played sports in parks with other kids, and watched a lot of television. _

_Harry felt rather alone though. He never really got close to anyone. None of them were wizards, so he couldn't tell them about his troubles, and he wasn't sure he wanted to meet any wizards that weren't like Tonks—so easygoing that it was clear she didn't give two hoots about whether or not he could do magic at all. _

_"It didn't really seem that important." Tonks shrugged when he asked her. _

_Maybe she'd been trying to make him feel better or maybe she didn't know what to say to him, but it was nice. He even got letters from her. Not very many because, according to the letters, Dumbledore didn't want anyone to start to suspect anything. She would writer about auror training. _

_When he was fourteen she sent a letter to tell him that Voldemort had risen to power again and that this might mean he'd have to come back to England. _

_Harry's whole heart lifted when he heard that news. _

_But his hopes had been dashed, he received an owl when he was seventeen, after two years of waiting for the world that they were coming around to collect him from Tonks who said she was going under his identity and she couldn't send anymore owls to him. It was also best if he never told anyone else that he was a Squib._

_Harry had to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. He was put away. Forgotten about, in this old inn, half a world away. _

_I want to help. I want to help._

_But what would I do?_

_But only a week after getting that owl, a young man took over the inn. His name was Neville Longbottom. Harry was leaving that day to go to a nearby bookstore when he saw someone his own age weeding the front lawn. _

_"Hullo!" The boy looked up at him. "My name's Neville. Are you Harry Potter?"_

_"Yes." Harry was a little surprised. _

_"I own the inn now." Neville stood up, all bright-faced and wiping his hands on his jeans so he could shake Harry's hand. "I-I'm really pleased to meet you. Dumbledore's had me take over."_

_"You know Dumbledore?" Harry blinked. _

_"Yes." Neville glanced around. "I'm, um, a wizard. Just graduated from Hogwarts." _

_There was nothing wizardly about Neville. Whereas all the other wizards and witches Harry had met seemed to carry a sort of confidence, Neville looked very unsure of himself and Harry asked him what life had been like at Hogwarts._

_According to Neville, it had been torture. He was bullied constantly and he was never any good at homework and he only ever got help from a girl named Hermione Granger—whom he said was the smartest girl in school and like himself, seemed to have no friends. The teachers were always telling him how badly he was doing—except his Herbology teacher, which was his best subject. _

_Neville loved plants and he talked about them constantly. But Neville was a lot more observant than Harry thought people gave him credit for because after a couple of months, Neville had tried to do a simple spell to do some cooking but ended up flooding the kitchen. _

_"Neville!" Harry sloshed through the kitchen and went over to Neville who had his face buried in his robes. _

_"I should have known this would happen!" Neville moaned. "I'm practically a Squib!"_

_A shard of ice went through Harry's heart. Squib. That stupid word. That word he carried around at all times, always hanging above his head. Squib. And here Neville was whining about how bad he was at magic—almost as bad as a Squib. _

_"Still better than a Squib though." Harry muttered and he turned, leaving the kitchen, Neville called after him—obviously realizing his mistake. For two whole weeks Harry didn't speak to Neville. _

_"Harry?" Neville came to his room with tea and a plate full of cakes from a nearby store. "I…I'm sorry." And he held the tray out, bowing his head. Harry almost laughed at him. He realized that Neville hadn't meant any harm. _

_I can't hate wizards. Wizards are all different people. _

_Sirius is brave._

_Lupin's kind._

_Dumbledore's wise._

_Tonks is cheerful._

_Neville's sensitive. _

_Everyone can't be everything. _

_Harry and Neville came to be very good friends and they spent every day together but sometimes Harry just liked being alone because that's what he was used to. In fact, the day when his whole life changed had been one of those days. _

_He'd been watching a Japanese game show and debating about whether he wanted udon or sushi for dinner when he thought he heard muffled voices down below him. He didn't think much of it. The walls were all thin and it was easy to hear his neighbors as well. _

_It caused him to glance around his room. Books, some posters he'd put up of anime he enjoyed watching on television, some knickknacks, a soccer ball, a baseball bat. These were all the things that made up his life so far. He reached out and under his pillow he pulled out the mirror. _

_He looked at it almost every night, because it made him feel a little less alone. His mother's and father's faces. This was magic. Magic he could do. _

_He put it back and thought he heard steps on the stairs but he just turned his television up a little more and yawned. _

_When the door opened, he didn't know that everything would change, and that he would no longer be put away and forgotten—but brought out into the limelight in a way he could never really understand. _

_Magic is anything that's extraordinary in the eyes of others. _

_Is it possible…that I could be magic?_

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Um, so, I'm sure there's going to be some yelling about how even this chapter explains what just happened in the story, it doesn't really…you know…continue it. Look, tune in next time when everyone royally freaks out!


	19. Chapter 19

Hey kiddos, I know it's been awhile but don't worry, Jade hasn't forgotten the existence of her fanfiction. I need to get some work done! I always feel oddly behind. Okay, here goes, another chapter that I'm sure everyone's been desperately waiting for!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Reactions.

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Substance of Things Hoped For

Chapter Nineteen

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The silence that filled the room was both awkward and all powerful. No one said anything at all. The green-eyed boy blinked a few times and then his face broke into a grin and he jumped to his feet.

"Tonks!" He greeted his identical twin. Then the Harry that they knew and had traveled with scrunched up his face and with a faint popping noise turned into a girl. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes, with a heart shaped face. Hermione thought she might faint. What the hell was going on?

"T-T-Tonks?" Percy looked like he was choking on something.

"What are you doing in Japan?" The green-eyed boy asked her, not seeming to be alarmed by anyone else.

"We're here to get you, you goof." The girl, Tonks, presumably, reached over and messed up his hair. "It's time for you to come back to England."

"Really?" His eyes were very wide. "It is?"

"What's going on?" Susan interrupted the conversation.

"Sorry, sorry," Tonks clapped her hands together and ducked down a little in apology. "I'm sure I have to explain everything now! Well, as you might have guessed, I'm not the real Harry Potter, he is."

"_Oh mon Dieu_!" Fleur gasped.

"Yes, but what's going on?" Susan reiterated her question.

"We should all sit down and have a proper telling." Tonks suggested and sat on an ottoman, making room for Harry? (they'd been fooled once) to sit down next to her. Everyone sat all around the room. Hermione felt that was all she and everyone else could do at that very moment. "See, I'm Nymphadora Tonks and this is Harry Potter and I've been pretending to be Harry Potter as a decoy."

"I knew something fishy was going on." Ernie rubbed his chin and nodded in agreement with his own deduction.

"No, you didn't." Zach hissed.

"Metamorphmagus." Hermione realized that everyone was looking at her and that she must have been the one who said it. "You're a Metamorphmagus, right?"

"Right." Tonks nodded happily. "I've been pretending to be Harry for while now for his protection. Dumbledore came up with the whole plan because of my abilities."

"And you're…Harry Potter." Hermione pointed at the green-eyed boy who nodded, but didn't look like he was particularly proud of this fact. It reminded her of when they met Harry the first time, or Tonks for that matter, and she realized that Tonks would have had to spend time with Harry to know what he was like and then if so…she shook herself, she was thinking about this _too _hard.

"I want to see some proof." Draco spoke up crossly. "If you're the _real _Harry Potter, I want to see some proof."

"I don't have any proof." Harry stared at Draco like he was an alien. "I've got an ID somewhere around here…I guess…" He started to look around.

"We're leaving." Draco declared. "Come, Hermione, let's go from this place of deceit at once!"

"She's not your servant!" Ron interjected. "She doesn't have to go anywhere."

"Shut up both of you!" Hermione snapped at them. "I'm sorry, please go on…um, Miss Tonks."

"Oh, just call me 'Tonks'." Tonks beamed at her. "I'm sorry, but 'Miss Tonks' sounds like something Percy might call me. Oh," She seemed to remember something as she hit the bottom of her right fist on the top of her left palm. "Hiya, Percy!"

Percy didn't say anything for a long time and there seemed to be this tension in the room that no one could quite place. He didn't glare at Tonks; he was just giving her this impassive look but somehow seemed to betray that he was trying to decide something.

"You'll all have to excuse me for a moment." Percy stood up and walked out of the room.

"Percy?" Tonks tilted her head to one side but he didn't say anything. "Well, what on Earth is wrong with him?"

"Never mind him," Fleur was leaning forward in anticipation, "_Vas-y, s'il vous plait_." Tonks gave her a blank look and Fleur, cleared her throat, looking highly dignified. "Please, go on."

"No problem, Fleur." Tonks spoke airily. "Harry Potter's our secret weapon."

"I was _right_!" Ernie jumped up and grabbed Harry's entire arm and began shaking it vigorously. "This changes everything! It all makes sense now, that we weren't with the _real _Harry Potter. I should have seen it all along but I was just too excited to have met you! Now that I've met the real you I pledged my never ending loyalty to you, Mr. Potter, sir, and you should know that Macmillan is your man!"

"Come on, Ernie, you can get to know your new boyfriend later." Zach dragged Ernie away from Harry and made him sit back down.

"As I was saying, I've been Harry's decoy." Tonks repeated, trying to get the conversation back to the main point. "We didn't want Voldemort to guess where he really was and now all of us are going back to Britain."

"Wait," Ron seemed to be trying to connect two dots. "You've been Harry…this whole time? Like, even when we were staying at Fleur's house?" Tonks nodded. "But…but I've changed in front of you!"

"Sorry, Ron, I was sworn to secrecy, I couldn't tell you I was a girl." Tonks grinned apologetically. "But, nice. You're a lucky girl, Hermione." She winked quite unabashedly at Hermione, whose face went a brilliant shade of red and she seemed to be looking everywhere but at Ron.

"There's no romance on this trip!" Draco reminded everyone.

"Draco, I swear to god, if you don't shut up…" Hermione covered her face with her hands.

"Um…so…" Harry Potter scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what Tonks might have said about me…or as me…"

"Oh, they know all about you." Tonks assured him. "I told them how you're magic is so strong that you can't use it for anything but the most powerful spells."

"You did?" Harry turned towards her, looking surprised. "Right, just like Dumbledore said. Anyways," He coughed and turned towards them. "It's nice to meet you guys…"

"Right, we have a lot of introductions." Tonks heaved a sigh and began pointing to them all in turn. "So, that's Hermione Granger, and next to her is Ron Weasley, and on the other side of him _was_ Percy, his brother, and then that's Fleur Delacour, and then that girl with the braid is Susan Bones, and then that's Ernie Macmillan and his sidekick Zacharias Smith—"

"I'm not his sidekick!" Zach protested immediately.

"And then the blonde on Hermione's left is Draco Malfoy." Tonks went on as though no one had spoken. "I don't remember if Dumbledore completely brushed you up on your Death Eaters, but his dad's like the right hand man of You-Know-Who."

"Is he...quite good then?" Harry shifted uneasily as he asked.

"I'm right here you know." Draco threw out his chest importantly. "And I'm more important than any of you so you should be addressing your questions directly to me."

"Why are you important?" Harry cocked his head to one side curiously and didn't seem to be asking him in a particularly antagonistic tone.

"I'm a _Malfoy_." Draco spoke as though this settled the matter. "You may not know very much as you've been holed up in this little backwards town on the side of the world, but you should know that my family is very important and rich. Much more important than any of the other Wizarding families present." Fleur made a very irritated sort of noise. "You'll be wanting to make friends with me."

"No thank you." Harry sounded so oddly polite that Hermione and Ron both started laughing. Draco's eyes went to the size of saucers and he began sputtering to himself.

"You already know my name," Ron reached out a hand to shake with Harry's. "Thought we were mates. Turns out that you were really Tonks there. S'okay. I won't hold it against you."

"Nice to meet you." Harry shook his hand. Hermione went to shake his hand next.

"Sorry about Draco, he's an idiot." Hermione apologized. "Just ignore him."

"I'm very pleased to meet you." Susan waved from where she was seated in between Zach and Ernie. "Not just because you're famous though. But also because this means we can all go back to England and now things can change."

"That's right! Now you'll defeat You-Know-Who and England will be safe again!" Ernie bounced energetically. "Man, do we have one whizbanger of a surprise in store for him!"

"Defeat You-Know-Who?" Harry repeated quietly and Hermione saw that there was a troubled look in his eyes but then he noticed her looking and quickly went blank.

"We've got to find Dumbledore." Tonks changed the subject smoothly. "I'm just not entirely sure where to start looking. He didn't leave us a trail of clues to get us back."

"I have a clue." Harry spoke up. Everyone turned towards him. "Dumbledore told me that if this happened, I should tell you to look on page three hundred and ninety-four."

"Page three hundred and ninety-four?" Hermione spoke up. "In what?"

"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "I always figured he meant that book he gave me; _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_, that's one of the few books I have that has enough pages and he specially gave it to me. But that page is blank."

"It's blank?" Tonks frowned and reached towards his small book shelf to grab the large book with a black cover and gold lettering.

"Yep. It falls right between the end of King John and the beginning of Richard II." Harry explained to them. He saw that most of them were giving him a look. "I didn't have a lot to read."

"It's blank." Tonks announced, having found the page in the book and holding it out towards Hermione. Draco snatched it away first.

"It's clearly invisible." Draco rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand. "You were stupid not to think of using magic."

"He can't use magic, he'd probably blow the whole book up!" Hermione reminded him.

"Too bad for him." Draco flicked the page with his wand lazily. Everyone leaned in to look at the page which annoyed him greatly. They were all trying to see the smooth blank page. Slowly, very slowly, ink seemed to bubble up out of the page and began to write in spidery letters across it.

_Vogoodle_

"Vogoodle?" Zach spoke scathingly. "That's really helpful. Remind me to punch Dumbledore in the face when we meet him again."

"Maybe it's an ingredient…?" Hermione looked thoughtful as she scanned her mind for anything that sounded like it but the closest thing she could think of was asphodel, which wasn't any help at all. "Or someone's name?"

"Maybe we've got to rearrange the letters." Ron remembered their last clue.

"Perhaps we should give zem room to breathe." Fleur suggested out loud and everyone backed away from Hermione and Draco.

"That's settled then!" Tonks stood up. "You two are officially our clue-solving committee. Hermione's head, Draco, you're second-in-command." She walked out of the room. "I'll go see where Percy's got to."

"Second-in-command?" Draco shrieked indignantly.

"Do you play soccer?" Harry asked Ron interestedly.

"Yeah, you got a ball?" Ron scrambled to his feet.

"I want to play too!" Ernie volunteered immediately. "Come on Zach!"

"I don't want to play soccer." Zach grumbled but got to his feet and the boys all left the room, presumably to go play soccer.

"I will 'elp you." Fleur scooted over to Hermione and Draco. "You two are not ze only clever ones." She grinned at them.

"I'll go watch the boys play." Susan hefted herself up, looking strangely out of breath as she did so. Then she made her way out of the room. Hermione wasn't sure if the others had noticed and kept it to herself. She thought of the sleeping and the way Susan had fainted. Susan really could be sick. Maybe Zacharias wasn't just being overprotective. She resolved to ask Susan about it as soon as they were alone together.

"Of course everyone else ran off to go play soccer." Draco sniffed.

"Do you want to go play with ze boys?" Fleur had a devious grin on her face. "Zat Harry Potter intrigues you, no?"

"No!" Draco snapped and his face flushed. "I can't believe the way he spoke to me! Rejecting my offer of friendship! Some people just don't know how to behave in civilized society, do they, Hermione?"

"No, they really don't." Hermione answered, looking at him quite pointedly.

"Let's just solve this bloody clue so we can go back to England." Draco hunched his shoulders defensively as he looked down at the nonsensical word they'd been given.

Hermione wasn't sure what to make of the exchange that had just occurred and so shrugged her shoulders and began searching her memory for anything that might relate to the clue.

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He hadn't quite understood what made him get up and leave like that. He was slightly embarrassed at the way he'd acted. He should have just pretended it didn't matter, that it didn't mean a thing out of the ordinary, other than seeing an old classmate again.

But that would have been a lie.

In his chest, he felt a burning, aching sensation, stronger than he'd felt in years. Percy clutched a hand to his chest and wondered why on Earth he allowed Nymphadora Tonks to have such an effect on him.

_I never chose it. _

_If I had a choice, I would make it all just go away. _

Percy had left the house but sat on the edge of the front porch. Below him was a small goldfish pond. The water was dark, the fish were just flashes of color every now and then. It reminded him of the way he felt. Wandering, blindly, in the darkness. He'd never really understood how to reach out to another human being and asked them to catch you. He wasn't good at making friends, at getting close to people. He wasn't even close to his family. He'd felt a loneliness, a shell around himself, even when they were alive. It was something he was never able to cast away completely.

Frowning, scowling Percy Weasley. That's how everyone thought of him. Too straight-laced to have fun with. Too uptight to make friends with. People had accused him of thinking he was better than other people.

_I'm not better. I never thought I was. _

_I just can't imagine how to just let people in. To open the door and just greet them and tell them about my day. _

_I've always been jealous of my other brothers. I thought if I did well in school, like Bill, that I would have as many friends. But that isn't what happened. I was an ordinary person who had good grades. A person that would otherwise be overlooked by others. _

_Especially someone like Tonks…_

He thought that she was someone in the past, a ghost. A person he used to think of, from time to time. A longing that could never be fulfilled. Perhaps she was dead, perhaps she was in another country, never to be heard from again. Their paths would never cross.

_I could have learned to forget her._

When she'd appeared, he felt betrayed. She'd been there this whole time and hadn't bothered to tell him. To let him know. She'd never known any of his feelings; he kept them too well hidden for that. But somewhere, deep in him, some crazy forlorn hope still resided that she in fact might have had some sort of feelings for him. But of course, she didn't. A gesture, a wink, that's all it would have taken for him not to feel like he hadn't mattered enough to tell.

Her face, which she was always changing, was exactly as it was when she was sleeping. That time he'd watched her sleep in the common room. It was heart-shaped and cheerful, even when she was deep asleep. Her hair changed, her eyes could change, but that face, that was the face he'd know anywhere.

_You're alive, so close, and yet…for me…so far away, so far that I couldn't ever hope to be near you. _

_"I hope you like it." _

_That's what you're supposed to say, but you didn't have to waste words on me. _

"Percy?" The voice made his heart seize again. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Tonks standing there. She had a sort of apologetic grin on her face. "Can I sit down?"

Percy sort of grunted and pushed up his glasses, trying to radiate indifference at her presence. She sat down clumsily next to him, brushing a hand against his shoulder accidentally.

"Um…" Tonks tried and then cleared her throat. "You seemed…kind of upset."

"I'm not. I was just overwhelmed, I'm fine now." Percy stared determinedly out across the pond.

"Oh okay." Tonks sounded slightly discouraged. "It's just…you know I couldn't say anything to you right? Even though we're old friends…Dumbledore made me promise."

"You still could have told me." Percy felt stupid for saying it out loud like a petulant little kid who didn't get his way. "You always liked playing jokes in school. Hope you liked this one."

"It wasn't a joke!" Tonks sounded like she was getting angry. Good. "It's really important! It's a matter of life or death for Harry! I have to be his double. I have to make sure that if Voldemort gets a hold of one of us, it's me. I have to make sure that if one of us gets killed, it's me. Harry has to live. He's going to end the war. I'm just small fries compared to that."

"Are you happy to do it?" Percy's voice was thick with venom. "You're happy to die? To not be your own person? To be someone's shadow?"

"What's with you?" Tonks' words trembled a little and he turned towards her. Her eyes were starting to shine a little, as though she were tearing up. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"Why does it matter to you?" Percy asked after a moment of silence and then he stood up. He was going to leave but Tonks was on her feet in a matter of moments and blocked him, putting her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Percy Weasley, stop being so mopey! Okay, so I didn't tell you I was undercover, but stop being so mean about it!" Tonks poked him hard in the chest with her index finger. "Here I thought you were genuinely upset about something but it turns out that you're just being a brat."

His eyes widened considerably at this and he didn't know what to do or say. Here she was. Finally, here she was. And she was telling him off because he'd said everything he hadn't meant to say or knew he shouldn't say. To push her away.

_Don't get close…_

_It's just me here, and I don't want anyone else disturbing my peace…_

Percy tried to step around her but Tonks wasn't going to let him get away so easily and she pushed him back to where he'd been with her two hands. However, she misjudged how hard to push him and Percy hadn't expected her to try to stop him so he didn't put up any resistance.

He stepped backwards but found himself on the edge of the porch. He clutched at thing air in a panic before he found himself falling into the pond. It was only two feet deep and he sat up, his clothes soaked. He spit some water at.

Tonks took one look at him and began laughing so hard that she was clutching her stomach. Percy found himself infected with the laughter but he fought to keep it suppressed. He gave a few small guffaws and found himself smiling in spite of the situation.

"Oh, Percy!" Tonks recovered enough to hold a hand out to him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you in!"

"It's alright. It's just water." Percy took her hand. It was small and somewhat delicate feeling in his own large hand. He always expected her hands to be very strong, like her. She was smiling, her cheeks flushed with laughter, her eyes shining. His heart skipped a beat. She pulled him up but didn't let go of his hand.

"So, truce?" She tilted her head to one side.

"Truce." Percy nodded. She didn't, _couldn't _understand the feelings in his heart, but he knew he'd just have to bury them as he always did.

"Good! I'll be glad to have someone to talk to! I mean, everyone's great and all but it'll be nice to have someone closer to my age." Tonks gave his hand a squeeze, causing him to gulp. Then she let go and began walking back towards the front door. "We should probably get upstairs and see if they solved the clue."

"What clue?" Percy started to follow her.

"Oh, that's right, you weren't there. There's another clue to help us find Dumbledore." Tonks explained and started to go inside before she stopped, one hand resting on the door frame. "Make sure you dry off. I'm sure the girls will appreciate this chance to see your nice body but I don't think Neville wants you to drip water all over his floor."

"What?" Percy blushed as he glanced down and saw that parts of his white shirt were clinging to him and were transparent. "Oh." And he quickly pulled out his wand from his pocket so he could do a spell to dry himself off. When he finished, he saw that Tonks was still waiting for him.

She caught his eye, winked, and walked in.

The wink made him flush all over again and he was quick to go in after her.

--------------------------

"I have an announcement: I'm sick of clues." Hermione told the other two. Fleur was braiding her long silvery hair into two pigtails and looked rather peeved that she hadn't figured out the clue.

"What about 'vacuole'?" Draco suggested.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "But wow."

"Wow what?" Draco looked perplexed.

"I just wasn't expecting you to know anything about biology." Hermione commented and Draco harrumphed.

"How goes the clue?" Tonks came back with Percy in tow. He didn't seem the least bit bothered now and Hermione wondered why he'd left in the first place. She supposed it wasn't any of her business but she couldn't help feeling curious.

"Not so well." Fleur finished braiding one pigtail and pulled out a satin blue ribbon out of her pocket to tie it off with. "We cannot figure out zis clue."

Percy stepped over to where the book was laying open and stared at the word on the test. _Vogoodle. _

_Hmm…_

_Vogoodle. Good Vole. No. _

_Good Levo? Good love? Good love? _

He felt something stir in his memory. Something…something important…he'd heard this phrase or something like it once upon a time. Then he suddenly remembered the sea, the smell of salt, and a girl with a faraway, lost look asking him whether he believed in mermaids or not.

"Lovegood." Percy said at once. "Luna Lovegood."

"Luna Lovegood?" Draco grimaced.

"I met her when we were in Dieppe, when you and Hermione were off buying tickets and everyone else went to the store. She was just hanging around." Percy remembered. "Why, do you know her?"

"You might know her yourself." Hermione commented. "She was a year below me and Ron in school. I vaguely remember people calling her some kind of nickname…"

"Loony Lovegood." Draco supplied easily. They all stared at him. "What? She was nuts and she had awful fashion sense."

"If zis Luna Lovegood is in Dieppe zen we should go zere." Fleur had finished braiding her other pigtail and fastened it off with another blue ribbon.

"Guess we better pack up." Tonks glanced out the window. It was looking out at the backyard and from where Percy was, he could see that the other boys were playing soccer in the yard, including a fifth boy, whom he assumed was Neville Longbottom. There was someone standing to the side, it looked like Susan.

"Let's just get this over with. I want to go home and stay there for a very, very long time. All this rushing about is bad for my complexion." Draco put a hand to the side of his face.

"What a princess." Tonks commented before breaking into an evil grin. Before Hermione could say anything, Tonks had pounced on Draco, seizing him in a headlock and using her other hand to mess up his hair.

Draco began screaming as though she were causing him physical pain. "LET ME GO YOU BRUTE! YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL MY FATHER HEARS ABOUT THIS!"

"Oh, that sounds serious, what do you reckon, Hermione?" Tonks asked her jovially as she continued her torture.

"Very serious." Hermione nodded before casually flicking through a few pages of the book.

"HERMIONE, YOU HELP ME! GET THIS WRETCHED THING OFF OF ME! SHE'S RUINING _MY HAIR_!" Draco bellowed furiously.

There was a thumping of feet up the stairs and the door flew open. Harry appeared through it, looking around. "What's going on? We heard screaming." Ron was right behind him and it sounded like the others were not far behind Ron.

"GET HER OFF! GET HER OFF!" Draco ordered. "UNHAND ME AT ONCE YOU SHAPE-SHIFTING FIEND!"

"She's messing up his hair." Hermione explained.

"Draco would like you to save 'im." Fleur told Harry. He blinked in confusion.

"Er, let him up, he's making too much noise." Harry told Tonks who let the furious blonde-haired young man go. He folded his arms and tried to look as dignified as possible, even though his blonde hair was now sticking up at all sorts of funny angles.

"I'm not thanking you." Draco hissed at Harry.

"Good." Harry rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you were freaking out just because someone was messing up your hair. I thought someone was getting _attacked_."

"Everyone please be quiet!" Percy scowled furiously at them. "We have a serious matter and we are trying to discuss it like adults and we certainly don't need anymore…_horseplay_." He gave Tonks a sharp look. Tonks did an exaggerated impression of a child whose just been told off, by taking a sudden breath in, bugging her eyes out, and folding her hands in her lap as quickly as possible. Hermione smothered a giggle. "Now, we're going to Dieppe. We've figured out the clue. We need to make arrangements."

"I will take care of zat." Fleur held up a hand.

"Good." Percy nodded. "Now, are there any questions about this journey?"

"I have one." Zach, Ernie, and Susan were still standing around the door but they turned to see that Neville was standing in the hallway. "Can I come?"

"No." Draco answered first and Neville hung his head.

"Yes, you can come." Harry countered, glaring at Draco. Then he turned towards Ron. "It's okay, right?"

"Yeah, no problem." Ron and the real Harry seemed to have made friends quickly. Hermione marveled at that. But then, Ron was good at that sort of thing. She was very proud of herself when she only blushed a little bit at this thought.

"But how are we going to split up train compartments again?" Ernie wondered out loud.

Everyone that was not Harry and Neville moaned.

------------------------

AH! I'm so sorry it took so long for an update. But here is an update. It's good for you! That Complete Works of William Shakespeare thing, that occurs in my 1990 Longmeadow Press edition. Dunno if it works in any of the others. Poor repressed Percy! I'm excited to write more of him. But what's going to happen next to our gallant heroes? Time will tell! See ya!


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